


Shatter Me || A Dream SMP AU

by trash_noodle



Category: DreamSMP, Minecraft (Video Game), mcyt
Genre: Angst, But he gets better eventually, Dave | Technoblade and Wilbur Soot and TommyInnit are Siblings, F/M, Father Figures, Father-Son Relationship, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Jschlatt-centric (Video Blogging RPF), M/M, Minor Alexis | Quackity/Jschlatt, Near Death Experiences, One-sided Quackity/Schlatt, Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit Friendship, TommyInnit Angst (Video Blogging RPF), TommyInnit-centric (Video Blogging RPF), dude's totally lost it at this point, phil may be implied to be a bad dad but i promise its not his fault either, schlatt's mostly a dick at first, sorta - Freeform, techno cares, though he could try to be better, uhhh he just doesn't know how to show it, wilbur's a bad older brother but it's not his fault
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-14
Updated: 2021-03-06
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:27:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 30
Words: 68,625
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26858206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/trash_noodle/pseuds/trash_noodle
Summary: When Wilbur made Tubbo his vice-president Tommy felt nothing but rage. He soon came to terms with the fact that his best friend was Wilbur's right hand man instead - but that was okay. After being banished from L'Manberg when Schlatt wins the election Tommy has a hard time fitting in with his family. Because, what is he even there for? So when Schlatt offers him a place in Manberg he accepts only to spy and help Wilbur reclaim his country once again. What he doesn't expect is to have his views on Schlatt changed within the first month he spends there, let alone strange new features he starts to develop...When Schlatt became president his mind was twisted with power and hatred and he didn't see any worth in the country except for keeping it as his own. And when he sees an opportunity to keep the very power he holds he takes it and offers a rather broken Tommy a place in Manberg, purely to help his advantage. What he doesn't expect is for the kid to change his views on a lot of things as he even starts to grow to care for him.Because the past isn't what it seems, and long buried secrets are about to be revealed.
Relationships: Dave | Technoblade & Wilbur Soot & TommyInnit, Jschlatt & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), No Romantic Relationship(s)
Comments: 508
Kudos: 1110





	1. The Exile

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo, new fic!! So uh- yeah I recently got addicted to mcyt/dreamsmp and well- I made this.  
> My friend was hyped to see this and well, here it is sdfskfsd the very first chapter. If you see this before I tell you on discord, I actually can't access discord in college so there was no way to tell you its actually out sdfgsdkfh-  
> Apologies if my writing sucks, I- yeah my writing just sucks difhsdjkfh  
> Hope y'all enjoy!

“My first act as president of L'Manberg.. The _emperor_ ,” with each word Schlatt's eyes grew more manic, his voice rising an octave higher, “is to revoke the citizenship of Wilbur Soot, Tubbo and TommyInnit!”

At that moment Tommy was sure his heart stopped completely. Time seemed to slow down and he was left gaping in utter shock and fear as Schlatt glared down on them, his eyes narrowed and filled with insanity. Suddenly Tommy was aware of someone shaking him, yelling at him to move. Slowly the person came into focus as Tommy blinked rapidly, trying to comprehend the situation.

Right. They were exiled- 

“Tommy run!” Wilbur yelled before getting struck with an arrow George had fired upon them. Beside Tommy, Tubbo was staring wide eyed in absolute horror.

“Tubbo help me get him out of here!” Tommy ordered sharply, taking one of Wilbur's arms and slinging it over his shoulder. Tubbo quickly did the same. The two then broke into a sprint, carrying the dazed Wilbur away from L'Manburg, not even daring themselves to look back.

Tommy's heart was racing. His head was spinning, yet he kept going forward as the adrenaline rushed through his veins. How did it all go wrong? Not even five minutes ago Tommy was basking in the heat of glory, they’d come up top in the election. Yet somehow, someway, Schlatt had pulled through. Pulled through by one vote. And the rage Tommy felt was nothing compared to the crushing defeat that now weighed him down.

He could hear Tubbo’s panicked breaths and Wilbur’s harsh gasps as the arrow lodged in his back deeper with each step. Shit. They needed to get him set down somewhere. Hastily, Tommy glanced around for somewhere. His eyes set on a nearby cave in the distance. Tubbo must’ve seen it too as he was eagerly changing direction towards it. Tommy could still hear the cheers and applause coming from L’manberg and he instantly felt sick.

The memory of Fundy laughing and cheering along with everyone else as they were chased out of their nation came back to him. A nation they had built together. Tommy remembered the heartbreak in Wilbur’s eyes as he watched his own son turn against him. Who cared? Fundy certainly never did. Not about his own father or anything else. As far as Tommy was concerned, Fundy was only interested in standing on the winning side, and Schlatt was very clearly the winning side.

As soon as they reached the cave Tubbo left to find something soft enough for Wilbur to lie on, but for now Tommy helped the latter settle on the floor. At this point Wilbur was sweating, his face was twisted in pain. Tommy checked him over and his eyes landed on the arrow in his back. Oh shit, it did look deep.

“Wilbur, what happened there? I thought we won!” Tommy exclaimed, unable to contain it anymore. 

Wilbur didn’t meet his gaze, instead his eyes were set upon the ground. “The election happened Tommy, it was a legal setting, we lost. That’s it.” Wilbur's voice was cold, dead. Both of which were very unlike him, his eyes were bleak and hopeless. In other words, he looked like hell.

Time passed. Tommy wasn't sure how long, he was too occupied to notice the setting sun, too distraught to even think about the whole concept of time-

Finally, Tubbo came back, a bunch of leaves in his hands. Tommy sighed in relief, at least Tubbo hadn’t abandoned them. He helped lay out the leaves on the floor, Tubbo had gathered a whole bunch of them. Enough at least, to prepare a makeshift bed soft enough for Wilbur.

“Bitches, the whole lot of them!” Tommy growled, “how could they do that? Just watch us leave? Without us L’Manberg is nothing!”

Tubbo was working on pulling the arrow out of Wilbur’s shoulder when he suddenly looked up, his eyes full of sorrow. “He changed the name.” His friend said quietly.

“What?” Tommy demanded. He’d heard Tubbo very clearly, too clearly, he just hoped he hadn’t heard it right. 

“Schlatt changed the name, he said an L sounds...too European.” Tubbo winced as Wilbur hissed in pain, he moved to a different angle, his fingers curled around the arrow.

“Too European?” Tommy repeated, outraged, “we should go back there right now, go back there and take back what’s rightfully ours-”

“It's Manberg now.” Tubbo continued.

“ _Manberg_?”

“Tommy,” Wilbur said sharply, gritting his teeth as Tubbo finally tossed the arrow aside once it was out of his skin, “Schlatt won the election, a presidential election we originally intended to be rigged, he won and we can’t change that now.”

Tommy cussed under his breath as he marched away in defeat. Much to his disappointment, Wilbur was right. They couldn’t oppose Schlatt’s leadership in that way, he was a democratically elected leader and...he’d won. And Tommy hated to admit that, but it was true.

But still. Schlatt was a tyrant. He was going to ruin Manberg- _L’Manberg_ if they didn’t stop him. And Tommy could see it, he could see it in both Wilbur and Tommy’s eyes that they knew that too. So…why weren’t they doing anything about it?

“I know what you’re thinking Tommy,” Wilbur said, “it’s true that Schlatt is corrupt, but there’s no way we can overthrow him, not yet at least-”

Tubbo’s eyes widened as he processed Wilbur’s words, “you’re not seriously thinking about overthrowing Schlatt are you? You’ve seen how powerful he is!”

“I don’t care. If it means a good kick-ass fight, I’m in.” Tommy said with a grin.

Tubbo frantically glanced to and from them, “but there’s no way we could win! We’d be shot before we even got past the walls!”

“Why are you so hesitant to get back our nation Tubbo?” In a moment Wilbur’s whole demeanor changed, his eyes narrowed onto Tubbo, “you’re not on his side are you?”

Tommy’s eyes widened, astonished that Wilbur would ever make that assumption. Tubbo was staring dumbfounded at him, obviously thinking the same thing. “No, of course not! I just want us to be realistic here, rushing in with no plan is not the way to go!” 

Wilbur’s eyes softened again as he looked at both Tubbo and Tommy in turn, “Tubbo’s right, at the moment we can’t just rush in L’Man- Manberg without a plan. Besides, we all need to rest first-” he trailed off as Tubbo walked away, his eyes set upon the skies, “Tubbo, what’s wrong?”

At first Tubbo didn’t reply, he just stood there completely motionless, then he looked back. The sadness in his eyes was enough to trample Tommy’s anger. 

“Smoke- debris-” Tubbo choked out. Tommy leapt to his feet and decided to go see for himself. There was smoke rising above the trees, and where you could usually see the walls of L’Manberg there was nothing but the falling of large pieces of stone.

They were tearing down the walls-

They were tearing down everything they’d worked so hard to build. 

And all they could do was watch and let it happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow so- I uh actually published this-  
> Seriously, don't expect much, its just a dumb idea I had late one night and so far its taken three different rewrites to actually get it right and what I kinda wanted it to be. But yes this is an AU, trust me it was gonna be a lot different but then Wilbur decided to go full villain mode and well- that changed a lot of things.  
> So, I hope you enjoyed this short opening chapter. Honestly in terms of updates they'll be pretty slow. Because I've literally used up all my current motivation on this small chapter. That and I have college and a shit ton of work to do.  
> Until next time!  
> -Jay


	2. Breaking

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is probably the fastest update I've ever made, what the hell is going on?

It was dawn. Possibly earlier, Tommy wasn’t sure. He wasn't sure of much anymore to be honest.

Tommy knew he wouldn’t be able to sleep that night. The raw horror of yesterday's events were still fresh in his mind and every time he closed his eyes he’d see the walls of L’Manberg being torn apart. That and it was cold. Colder than usual, or maybe that’s because he wasn’t exactly used to sleeping on the cold stone floor of a damp and dusty cave.

He could feel Tubbo shift beside him, his teeth chattering in the cold. Apparently he wasn't the only one who was having trouble trying to adjust. Tommy wasn't one hundred percent sure just how well Tubbo was handling this, he appeared to be somewhat hopeful but Tommy could see that it was all an act. And Wilbur was suffering worse than both of them. For Wilbur losing L'Manberg hadn't just been losing all that he stood for, it had been losing his very pride, his people, his _son_.

Tommy watched as the sky turned lighter with each passing moment. He was thankful for the silence. He knew Tubbo was awake but Tommy wasn't willing to break that peaceful silence, or risk waking Wilbur up just yet. He felt calmer than before, more serene, if he just closed his eyes maybe he could try… 

There was a loud explosion in the distance and Tommy jolted out of his trance immediately. Tubbo was already sitting up, his eyes wide and full of fear. Wilbur was trying to push himself up, but Tubbo was by his side before Tommy could even move, ushering him to lie back down. Tommy scowled, he wasn't sure why this affected him so much, so he shrugged it off and decided to take a look outside.

Another explosion. No. Not an explosion. _Fireworks._ But who the hell set fireworks off so early in the morning?

Tommy then noticed that direction in which they were coming from and frowned again. Of course. Schlatt must be celebrating his victory, perhaps a little too late. Or maybe he knew they were still close by and wanted to gloat some more, piss them off so that they’d decide to launch an attack.

Tommy half smiled to himself. Imagining going back to L'Manberg and completely trashing the place. Maybe he could get in a few lucky hits on Schlatt before they threw him back out or maybe even killed him. No doubt then Wilbur and Tubbo wouldn't be so hesitant to launch their own attack on them if that happened. _If they even cared that is-_

Before Tommy could think more about that, he felt Tubbo's hand on his shoulder as his friend came to stand beside him.

“Fireworks,” Tommy growled, “he's rubbing it in our faces now, isn't that just perfect?”

Tubbo just shook his head, not saying anything but Tommy knew he was probably thinking along the same lines as him. Tubbo was undoubtedly angry, there was no contradicting that. But the latter had become so good at controlling his emotions that it was barely noticeable. Only Tommy, who knew him so well could tell what he was really thinking.

“Let them have their celebration,” Wilbur said, waving his hand dismissively, “for now, we have to worry about surviving out here…” His face was creased with worry.

All Tommy felt was anger and disgust. Anger because Schlatt was gloating as much as possible, though he wasn’t doing it face to face it still stung, Tommy wasn’t exactly used to having his pride trampled like this. And Schlatt was doing a great job at making him angry. Though Tommy got angry a lot these days, probably something he should work on later.

“What are we going to do?” Tubbo asked quietly, “we have nothing, no supplies, no armour, no weapons-”

“We’ll get those things, even if it means sneaking into L’Man- we’ll have to take risks. And I know it won’t be easy, our nation may be gone but we, we remain! And together, we’re still strong.” Wilbur told them earnestly. A sort of strong determination flashed in his eyes, Tommy grinned, there was the Wilbur he knew. Hopefully, he was right and they’d manage to get by. But it all depended on how far Schlatt was willing to take his authority. Or...and it was something Tommy had been trying not to think, how far was _Wilbur_ willing to push _his_ authority? There was no doubt that Wilbur was still the self-proclaimed leader, and Tommy of course was in no position to question that. Tubbo was his vice-president, his right hand man. But Wilbur was still unquestioningly the boss of _both_ of them.

How far was Wilbur willing to go?

Tommy wasn’t sure and in all honesty he wasn’t sure he wanted to know. Power could make people reckless. Ambition for more power could corrupt them. But he believed in Wilbur and he knew there was no way Wilbur would ever take anything too far. Not like Schlatt would.

“How could we do that?” Tubbo’s voice snapped Tommy out of his thoughts, “he must have eyes everywhere by now, no doubt the citizen’s are helping too.” He pointed out calmly.

Trust Tubbo to be the only rational one here, perhaps that was a good thing. Without Tubbo and his convoluted plans, it would probably just be Tommy and Wilbur lost in the complete chaos of everything. Who needed plans when you had swords? But Tubbo was here, and strangely enough, Tommy was thankful for that. Maybe he was just glad his best friend was here. Not to say that Wilbur wasn’t his friend, it’s just that Wilbur could be a bit too much sometimes.

Coming from someone who was too much all the time - the irony almost made Tommy laugh, but he couldn’t bring himself to do something as simple as that. It was as if all motivation to do anything had just disappeared. Even his earlier blood-lust had completely vanished, replaced with a strange hollow feeling.

Despair.

He’d really lost everything huh? 

Wilbur had said something. Tommy wasn’t sure exactly what. He barely heard anything. All he could do was stare at the sun rising above the horizon. Something compelled Tommy to run. He didn’t know what, all his instincts were screaming at him to run as far away from Manberg as possible. But a true man never ran away from battle. And if this was destined to turn into some legendary fight, a war even greater than Dream’s, who could blame him for being scared? Not that he’d ever admit it, but it was true.

For the first time. Tommy was absolutely terrified.

“Tommy.” 

Tommy looked backwards, now aware that he had an audience of two staring at him expectantly. Great, what had he missed?

“Mmh?”

“We were saying that we’re gonna look for some supplies today,” Tubbo explained, “Wilbur’s going to stay here and rest.”

He was? Surely Wilbur would have wanted to come along and help them, right? Tommy glanced at him, Wilbur was frowning. So Tommy guessed that he wasn’t too happy with that idea either.

“Sure,” Tommy put on his usual brave facade, carefully not to let his true fear slip through, “might as well tag along with you, you’ll be needing protection eh?”

Tubbo smiled at him, Tommy forced a smile back.

“Good luck out there. If you see anyone- anyone, come back here immediately, we don’t want to start a fight.” Wilbur reminded them both, though it was probably more aimed at Tommy to be fair.

Tommy just snorted, “c’mon Wil, you know I could take them.”

Wilbur cracked a weak smile, finally looking like the Wilbur he used to be, the one Tommy had first met in those woods not so long ago. “I don’t doubt that Tommy,” his face turned serious again, “come back before sunset though, okay.”

“Okay jeez, older brother protection mode huh?” Tommy grumbled, “I guess we should go then.”

Tubbo laughed before heading out of the cave, Tommy started to follow him but Wilbur’s voice caught his attention again.

“Please don’t try anything Tommy. If either you or Tubbo get hurt out there, that’s on me. Don’t try anything out there.” Wilbur was deadly serious now.

Tommy’s facade almost broke, but he quickly regained himself again, only grinning at Wilbur like he always did. “Try anything? Me? C’mon big man you know I’d never do anything reckless.” Without another word he turned to follow Tubbo outside the cave. 

He clenched his fists once he was out of sight. Trying not to let the tears fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tommy angst anyone???  
> If you read the summary you probably know that half the fic is literally just that. I don't exactly want to make the big man suffer but it makes for plot-  
> And how about that foreshadowing too huh???  
> Well, the festival is tonight so I'll probably be emotionally damaged after whatever happens then. So honestly I doubt the next update will be out as soon-  
> Hope you enjoyed!! Also comments are appreciated, I'm always willing to take some criticism as long as it isn't too harsh dsfhsjdf I am aware my writing kinda sucks y'know?  
> But until next time, see ya!!  
> -Jay


	3. The Nightmare

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy has a nightmare (poor man) and Wilbur comes back with some newfound hope for their small nation-

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What can I say, I'm a slow writer dkdgsjd  
> But here's chapter three! I hope you enjoy! ^^

_“One”_

_Tommy grips the bow, his hands trembling as he turns his back and starts walking._

_“Two”_

_Beads of sweat drip down his forehead, but Tommy doesn’t care, he continues taking small paces forward._

_“Three”_

_His heart is racing, his breathing picks up rapidly._

_“Four”_

_He starts to lose focus, his grip on the bow and arrow lessons._

_“Five”_

_He regains himself quickly, knowing he has to do this for Wilbur, for his nation._

_“Six”_

_So close? Tommy readies himself, prepared to turn as soon as possible._

_“Seven”_

_He can hear Dream’s retreating footsteps, the latter's own are calm and perfectly collected unlike the staggering steps Tommy takes._

_“Eight”_

_He can do this, he can win, he just needs to maintain focus!_

_“Nine”_

_For L’Manberg. For their nation._

_“Ten paces, fire.”_

_Tommy spins round on his heel, his eyes landing on dream as he lessons his arrow and fires upon his enemy. Dream however was already one step ahead as always, and as his arrow flies towards Tommy at an incredible velocity Tommy knows he’s lost._

_Pain shoots through his chest- its agony, then he’s falling, he can’t breathe. He’s suffocating- no, not suffocating, drowning._

Tommy gasped. Lurching forward, his arms wrapped around his chest, the dream already fading away quickly. Was it a dream? Or was he doomed to relive the same moments of terror over and over again, even in his sleep? The horror of his duel with Dream and his near death experience was still fresh in his mind. His sleep was often disturbed by those last few moments of pure fear as the arrow flew towards him.

He blinked, taking in his surroundings, the same low mood hitting him as he remembered that they were still hiding down in the cave. Wilbur was still healing of course, and Tommy and Tubbo were doing everything in their power to help. But admittedly it was quite hard without an experienced healer like Niki. Niki, who was still trapped in Manberg. Suffering at the foot of that...tyrant.

“Where’s Wilbur?” Tubbo mumbled, pushing himself up from where he was lying a few feet away from Tommy. His eyes half closed, blindly searching the cave for the other man.

Tommy just shrugged, “dunno, he’s probably outside.” 

Wilbur hadn’t been doing so well the past couple of days. Though he tried his best to hide it both Tommy and Tubbo could see that he was dealing with a lot of it. The wound inflicted by losing both the election and the nation he’d worked so hard to build affected Wilbur greatly. If only they knew how much. The biggest breakthrough they’d gotten was finding a set of tunnels and a great ravine underground. Wilbur had been a lot happier at this, mainly because he’d been the one who stumbled across it by accident. It was...better than the original tiny space they’d been forced to sleep in prior, Wilbur was sure they could make it into a base of their own. Better yet, a resistance, a nation.

Pogtopia. One of the first names Tommy actually proposed for L’Manberg. He was a little smug that Wilbur had actually agreed to his suggestion. Usually his focus was on Tubbo. Of course Tommy couldn’t be too salty about that. Tubbo was his best friend, but he was still the vice-president of Pogtopia. Which meant Wilbur would look to him on the most important decisions. Tommy? Tommy wasn’t too sure what his role was in their nation. Wilbur had insisted that he was still an important part of them, a secretary of some sort. But how could Tommy believe him when he was left out of almost everything.

“Should we go look for him?” Tubbo asked nervously.

Ah, of course Tubbo would be nervous of such a small thing. Wilbur had done a lot of watching lately. Especially on Manberg and the progress it was making. From what Tommy had heard and seen himself, Schlatt was ordering that every reminder of the old nation was to be destroyed. Out with the old, in with the new. Those very words sent a fierce rage through Tommy’s veins. Oh how he wished he could go straight to Manberg and show Schlatt who was really in charge.

Wilbur had insisted that they couldn’t attack now. _“Killing Schlatt won’t do us any good, not now, we have no way of knowing who’s on his side. For all we know, he could be under Dream’s protection.”_ The very thought made Tommy shudder. Dream, the leader of the entire SMP, a very powerful ally, a god almost. On the side of Schlatt, the ruthless tyrant?

It was definitely not something that they could win.

But Dream hadn’t been seen since the election when Tommy had spotted him, glaring down upon them - or at least from what he could tell - before he’d disappeared behind the trees. If Schlatt had somehow convinced Dream to join his side, it was safe to say they’d lost. The war would have been over before it even began. No one could oppose a _god_. Especially not Dream.

Tubbo just sighed, resting his head in between his knees.

Tommy hesitated, but thought better. He knew that Tubbo hadn’t been doing good either. Though he’d never admit it. Tommy wished they could go back to the good old days. Where talking to Tubbo wasn’t ever awkward. Back to when they were good friends having a laugh together. Tommy didn’t know he’d get dragged into all of _this_.

He remembered it ever so clearly. Meeting Tubbo. One of the fondest memories Tommy had, one which he’d hold onto forever.

“Do you think we can ever get it back?”

Tommy glanced up to meet Tubbo's gaze. His friend was running his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit he'd picked up recently. Obviously he was panicking just thinking about it all. And honestly Tommy felt the same way, he was just better at hiding it than Tubbo was.

“I don't know, I guess all we can do is hope.” Tommy replied evenly, “but I know we can win this if we try.” He smiled at Tubbo reassuringly though it was more of a grimace. Tubbo gave him a weak smile in return.

What the hell were they doing here? They were _kids_ for heaven's sake! Kids caught up in a war they didn't understand. A war they had to sacrifice _everything_ for. It was so much more simple back when they didn't have to fight for everything. Though Tommy did love a good war himself, he never thought it would go as far as it had.

At that moment, Wilbur walked back into the cave with a sort of smug expression. It shocked Tommy to see Wilbur looking so youthful and happy. Was that _hope_ in his eyes?

“Wilbur! Big man! Did something happen?” Tommy couldn’t help but yell. Feeling somewhat hopeful for the first time in weeks.

“You could say.” Wilbur said with a grin. Tubbo looked at Tommy in amazement, Tommy shrugged again and his attention pertained back towards where Wilbur stood at the entrance to their base.

“Are you gonna tell us or do we have to guess?” Tubbo asked, frowning slightly, but the same glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes.

_Come on Wilbur, stop playing games. Tell us what happened!_

“There’s someone I’d like you to meet.” Wilbur said, “TommyInnit, Tubbo, meet Technoblade.”

* * *

There he stood on the podium, his eyes wild with glee. He watched as Fundy and George discussed plans for their new nation. He often came back up here, remembering his victory. The joy was still fresh in his mind. He could relive it over and over again and never get tired.

This was his nation now. And he had won. He'd beaten Wilbur and nothing could crush the pride he was feeling at this moment. Tubbo, his vice president, seemed too scared to oppose him yet too scared to leave Wilbur's side. TommyInnit however was a different story. And he still couldn't figure him out.

In due time he would.

Beside him Quackity trembled with excitement as he explained his new ideas. But he was far from listening anymore. Instead completely focused on his own thoughts. He barely registered his vice president leaving his side, he sighed heavily, finally he was alone.

He turned around at a sluggish pace, his lips curled into a sickening smile, “things are going to change around here,” he murmured to himself, “for better, or for worse.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sooooooo,, I'm not good at foreshadowing nor am I good at writing. But I think I'm getting better idk-  
> And the ending? That was just a lil quick something I added for a friend (if you're reading this, ha, you simp) so I hope you enjoy!!  
> Also, tysm for 100+ kudos I'm literally dying aaaaa-


	4. The Potato Farm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> SCHLATT. THAT'S IT. THAT'S THE SUMMARY.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoo! So this took longer than expected for 1.4k words dkdhdjd  
> But here it is! Schlatt time y'all!!!!  
> Also, disclaimer. This chapter does include slight quackity/schlatt and it was VERY painful to write. Seriously, how can anyone write schlatt loving quackity's dummy thicc ass seriously? But yeah- this is only in here for the sake of canon lore, I do NOT ship this irl dkdhdjd

Unfortunately for Schlatt, no one had seemed to give him the memo on just how hard running and independent nation actually was. And it's not like _Quackity_ was any help. Schlatt was sure he was taking this all as some sort of joke. He knew Quackity wasn't exactly close with the former L'Manbergians, yet he still didn't trust him enough just yet.

Their relationship? Also complicated. Was it even a relationship? To put it simply, Schlatt wasn't in love. No, he just needed someone close to him. Someone he could confide in. And who better than Quackity? The local “joke” of the SMP. It was no secret what Quackity tended to never take things seriously. And Schlatt knew a lot of people had questioned his judgment when making Quackity his vice president. But that was the one good thing of being the ruler of an independent nation, when it came to the judgement of other people, it didn't even matter!

Which was one of the reasons Schlatt regretted his decision.

But ever since the day of the election. Which had been at least two weeks ago now, Quackity hadn't stopped following him around. And in all honesty it was beginning to tire him out. The younger man's eager attitude towards _everything_ almost made Schlatt regret it all.

“We could go on a real date sometime?” Quackity had offered one evening, “maybe a romantic dinner in a restaurant or something?”

“Restaurant?” Schlatt responded, his tone dripping with sarcasm, “what's with all those date stereotypes? We should go with something...less... _sappy.”_

Which they had. On Schlatt's request they had gone on a brisk walk in the rain. Much to Quackity's displeasure, but the other man didn't protest. He seemed to know better than that.

However, odd relationships aside there was one other thing that was bothering Schlatt. Something that despite his many efforts he could not fix.

_Niki._

He didn't think she'd be much of a problem. She didn't seem like the type to cause trouble yet already in a matter of weeks she had disrupted his plans several times. 

In his right mind he would've thrown her out by now. Left her to fend for herself. But he knew that was no answer to his problem. If he sent Niki out into the wilderness there was no doubt she'd end up finding the exiled former _L'Manbergians_ and join their crappy little renegade group.

Oh they were somewhere out there. Schlatt knew. Though he was unsure as to where exactly he knew they would never stray too far from their former nation. They'd keep close. They'd be watching.

And Schlatt didn't need their group growing any larger. There were already three of them out there. And he knew how close Wilbur and Niki had been. And Wilbur would be _begging_ her to join him the first chance he got. If Schlatt had his way, he would've made Tubbo stay in Manberg, offered him a place by his side. A promise of power. 

But it appeared that Tubbo not only valued his friends above everything else, he also valued his position as Wilbur's vice president too. And there was apparently no way he'd trade that for anything.

Schlatt wasn't too sure about that Tommy kid however. From what he'd gathered Tommy had been in line for Wilbur's vice president. But the boy had proved to be too reckless to handle such responsibility. Tubbo however, was more or less the same. Less given that he stood in place as Wilbur's secondary instead of Tommy himself.

This was something Schlatt could use to his advantage. 

Schlatt knew weakness when he saw it. And Tommy was most certainly feeling bitter about the whole situation. He could tell at the election, the way his expression changed anytime Wilbur mentioned Tubbo being a good and useful vice president. It seemed the two boys were both competing for Wilbur's attention, something that would backfire as soon as the moment everything went wrong. 

Maybe Schlatt would play into that a little. He was always willing to cause a little chaos.

He grinned to himself, staring down at Manberg with hard, greedy eyes.

_His nation._

* * *

To say Wilbur was having a hard time, was a huge understatement. He was feeling _absolutely terrible._ He'd lost everything he ever cared for. His son, his nation, his pride, his friends… 

Alas he had to remain strong. Not for himself but for Tubbo and Tommy. It was easy to forget sometimes that they were just kids. Kids, stuck fighting a war and never getting anywhere. 

They'd been fighting for some long. Only to fall again at the last moment. If Schlatt had never intervened, if he'd never came to the SMP in the first place… Maybe things would be different. And he wouldn't be staring at the walls of a cabin, rethinking every decision he'd ever made.

For a moment, Wilbur wondered what it would have been like if he'd never organized the election in the first place. Would he still be president of L'Manberg? Would Fundy still be on his side?

Though it was no secret that Wilbur had brought this upon himself with his obsessive behavior about his nation. While he'd been building his nation he'd been neglecting his son. He hadn't talked to Fundy for a while and the two had grown apart. Fundy had grown bitter and distant from his father. And when the choice came to be rid of him for good, Fundy had taken it.

And it was all Wilbur's fault. He pushed everyone away. Just like… 

He also knew Tommy and Tubbo weren't doing well. Tubbo, who was usually so optimistic and cheerful, was now quiet and often tired. Wilbur could tell he was suffering, despite Tubbo never saying anything about it, he could tell his vice president was slowly crumbling. And Tommy, though he hadn't changed, _much-_ Wilbur could see it in his eyes, Tommy was grieving over the loss of their nation, and the loss of his friends. He no longer seemed to itch for a fight, he seemed calmer and more cautious.

Especially around Technoblade. Tommy didn't appear to trust their new friend. Tubbo however was ecstatic that had someone else other than Wilbur and Tommy to talk to. And he often asked Techno tons of questions of what life was like outside the DreamSMP, having grown up inside it all his life. It reunited the spark in his eyes. His youthfulness and his childlike attitude. He was eager to learn.

He walked through the caves of Pogtopia, his head spinning as he made his way to the mine where Technoblade had spent the night. And from what Wilbur could tell, his old friend had spent at least a good few hours mining.

He was lucky to have met Techno when he did. 

He'd encountered the wild man wandering through the woods on the edges of the DreamSMP, he'd spotted Wilbur. And having admitted he'd spied on them during the election on their exile, he had spent the last few weeks looking for them. Eager to join their group. 

What could Techno contribute to Pogtopia? A lot of experience, that was for sure. Technoblade was a skilled warrior, and as his title gave away he was especially skilled in _the blade._ He was an excellent swordsman, as he carried many years of experience. And he was even willing to pass on that knowledge to the small group of Pogtopia.

As Wilbur reached Techno, he froze in shock at what he saw. How many hours had it been since he'd last seen the warrior? 

“Uh Techno?” Wilbur asked nervously, “how long have you been here?”

Technoblade glanced up from his farm. Farm? Potato farm? His mask was on the floor beside him and his forehead creased in confusion, Wilbur also noticed two hollow bags underneath his eyes, showing he hadn't slept in at least a good few days. Possibly a weak at the state he was in.

“Uhh- I haven't left.”

At his words, Wilbur's eyes widened in shock as he stared dumbfounded at the hybrid in front of him.

“But it's been-” Wilbur cut off, counting quickly on his fingers before coming to a steady conclusion, “Techno it's been almost fourteen hours, haven't you slept?”

Techno just grinned at him, turning at a sluggish pace so he was properly facing Wilbur, his emotionless eyes gleaming.

“Revolution waits for no man.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 5 should be out soon 👀👀👀  
> Sorry if you guys were expecting a schedule,, I'm very slow and I have a bunch of other fics I need to work on before I completely forget about them.  
> Also,, thanks to my friend who actually helped with the motivation to write this djshsjs I love you dude 💕  
> This chapter is for you! Especially the Schlatt part!!! I hope you enjoyed ya SIMP ^^
> 
> ALSO I ALMOST FORGOT,, MY FRIEND STARTED AN SMP AND IT'D BE AWESOME IF YOU GUYS SAW IT- I PROMISE YOU ITS ABSOLUTELY WORTH IT,, AND HOPEFULLY THIS THING CAN GROW!!!
> 
> https://youtu.be/cWJQK8JKk9s


	5. The Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy's getting sick of all these damn potatoes-

_“We need a vice president,” Wilbur said, his voice calling out above all the noise. Everyone immediately fell silent, Tommy watched with eager interest. A vice president, something_ he _could be. After all, he had been with Wilbur since the very beginning. There was no doubt he'd choose him to be his loyal vice president._

_Wilbur's eyes scanned the group before him as he started pacing again, “I've thought long and hard about this,” he continued, “and I've made my choice.”_

_Excitement welled up in Tommy, he shifted his feet nervously. Waiting for Wilbur to announce his final decision. This was his time-_

_“My vice president will be Tubbo._

_Around him everyone erupted into a loud applause leaving Tommy standing there dumbfounded. Tubbo?_ Tubbo? _Was Wilbur serious? Why Tubbo? Why would Wilbur, his own friend, his_ brother, _pick Tubbo over the person he'd known longer?_

_Tommy swallowed hard, he watched as Tubbo dashed excitedly up to the podium to stand beside the L'Manbergian president, his eyes gleaming. He was practically beaming at this point and Tommy couldn't help the burning jealousy that blazed in his chest._

_“Everyone, meet your new vice president!”_

_There was more applause, louder this time. But Tommy folded his arms across his chest, refusing to celebrate. Sure Tubbo was his friend and really he should be proud of him, but this had definitely struck a nerve._

_Everyone started to clear from the path, Tommy then noticed Wilbur walking up to him. For a moment the younger boy thought about running but by the time he made a decision Wilbur had already reached him._

_“Tommy—”_

_“You promised I could be your vice president.” Tommy whispered._

_Wilbur's expression was torn as he glanced down at the younger boy, his eyes anxious. “I know, but—”_

_“But you chose Tubbo.” Tommy growled._

_“Tommy listen,” Wilbur instructed, his voice soft, “I chose Tubbo because he's a lot more...responsible than you are. No doubt you'd make just as good of a vice president as he does but you're- you're too reckless Tommy.”._

_Tommy's voice caught in his throat, almost choking on his words. However he remained silent, containing his fury. Deep down though he knew that Wilbur was right. He was too reckless and angry and-_

_“That doesn't necessarily mean you won't be vice president in the future,” Wilbur continued, “when Tubbo becomes president, he might give you the position.”_

_Tommy only grunted in response._

_“You will be president someday, Tommy.”_

_Tommy snapped his head up to meet Wilbur's gaze, hiding his shock at the president's words. He could almost taste the lie, hanging bitter and cold in the air. He knew what Wilbur_ really _meant at that moment, he knew what he'd been too afraid to tell him. Though the true words were left unspoken, Tommy could almost hear them as if they had been said._

_‘You'll never be president Tommy.’_

* * *

“I still don't get why we need a gigantic potato farm in the middle of our base.” Tommy muttered as he walked along the prime path with Tubbo.

“I think it's a great idea!” Tubbo chimed.

 _Only you would._ Tommy thought bitterly to himself.

“And besides, it _does_ help us keep an easier food stock prepared. Instead of wasting all out energy and weapons to go hunt.” Tubbo continued, unaware that Tommy was very much _not_ interested in what he had to say. However the two kept walking together, towards the tunnels that Tommy had started to build.

“I'm just saying I don't want to be stuck eating potatoes for the rest of my life!” Tommy hissed quietly as they passed The Blade himself, Tommy desperately hoped the latter hadn't heard his words. He knew full well that Technoblade was dangerous, possibly insane with bloodlust, but for some reason Wilbur and Tubbo both depended and trusted in him. Which meant Tommy should probably do the same. Though he wasn’t exactly happy about it.

Techno shot Tommy a subtle glare, Tubbo was too busy chatting to notice. Tommy swallowed hard, freezing under The Blade’s cold stare. His heart picked up rapidly and he hurried to catch up with Tubbo who was giving him a concerned look. _Right, as if I’m the one who’s crazy!_ Tommy thought bitterly. As much as Wilbur tried to hide it, Tommy knew full well that the former L’Manbergian president was slowly losing himself. And as much as Tommy and Tubbo _tried_ to help him Wilbur always refused. He always told them the same thing everytime.

_“I’m fine guys, we shouldn’t be wasting time on this, we have to stay focused.”_

Sometimes, oh sometimes Tommy wanted to scream. He wasn’t sure why but he could feel the anger surging through him, every night he lay awake thinking about Wilbur’s broken promise and their crumbling nation. He lay awake thinking, was he on the right side of this war? He cursed at himself for thinking that way, of course he was. L’Man- Pogtopia was his home. His home with Wilbur, Tubbo and Technoblade. As useless as he was Tommy knew he played at least some part in all of this. At least he hoped he did, he hoped the others recognized his hard work throughout everything. He’d stood by Wilbur from the very start, there was no way he’d ever abandon him now. And Tubbo, his best friend. His closest ally. Tommy could never end up betraying Tubbo like that, just the thought of it made him feel sick.

However-

Tubbo’s duties as Pogtopia’s vice-president had kept him pretty much occupied throughout the day, meaning he barely had any time with Tommy anymore. He was always with Wilbur. Always trying to please him. Following the latter around like a lost puppy. And Wilbur barely registered the fact that he was always ignoring him, pushing him to do things, making him follow his orders-

They hadn't exactly been on good terms since...

And Tommy was forced to stick around and watch. He knew from the very start of things, as soon as they’d made their homes in the caves, Wilbur was changing. 

Becoming more and more like the ruthless leader Dream - Tommy shuddered - with every single day that passed. Or perhaps, he was becoming more like _Schlatt_.

All Tommy knew, was that this was definitely not the Wilbur Soot he knew.

Tubbo knew that too, he was just too caught up in his desperation to please him. 

To Tubbo, Wilbur was a role-model of some sorts. Tommy once felt the same way. To the two younger boy’s Wilbur was like the older brother they’d never had. He’d cared for them both at one point, but after losing everything, every single thing he’d worked so hard to gain he’d changed. Very clearly so. He never smiled, never laughed at Tommy’s jokes, never praised them or even spent time with them. He was always with Techno, always plotting by his side. 

And Tommy knew Techno was on their side for one reason and one reason only.

He wanted blood. He wanted to fight. When it came to war, Tommy was sure Techno wouldn’t mind cutting a few throats. Not for their gain, but for his own. And it was absolutely sickening.

“Are you alright big man?” Tubbo asked softly once Tommy was stood by his side once more. Tommy barely looked up, keeping his gaze fixed on the ground. He tugged at the collar of his shirt, a nervous habit he’d picked up nervously. Tommy rarely had gotten nervous before this. But his constant worries and fears that he was about to lose everything bothered him, the nightmares he was plagued with every night- 

“Yeah I’m cool I guess,” Tommy forced a weak smile, “what about you? How’s being Pogtopia’s VP? Big plans eh?”

Tubbo’s expression shattered. Tommy blinked in shock. He’d never seen Tubbo this broken before. Unconsciously he tugged against his collar with more force.

“It’s terrible Tommy…” Tubbo whispered, his voice as broken as his expression, “I- it’s Wilbur-”

“What did Wilbur do?” Tommy suddenly demanded, his voice hard. He knew Wilbur would never intentionally harm Tubbo, or would he? Was this part of the change? Had he-

“No Wilbur didn’t do anything to me,” Tubbo explained, “he’s just-” Tubbo lowered his voice, “he’s been talking about things, planning something. I don’t know what, but he’s been with Technoblade a lot lately, I think it’s something bad Tommy, really bad.”

So Tubbo had noticed Wilbur’s odd behavior too?

“What do you mean?” Tommy was afraid to ask, even more afraid to find out the answer. His tugging became so hard that Tubbo noticed and grabbed his wrist gently. Tommy eyes never left his best friend's sorrowful gaze.

“He’s different Tommy…”

Of course Tommy knew that, he’d been studying the president for days and he definitely noticed that there was in fact some major change to his personality.

“I know that,” Tommy stated, “this... _change_ impacted him more than anyone else.”

Tubbo shook his head, his eyes full of grief, “I think this has something to do with Technoblade too,” he whispered, “I’m not sure but ever since _he_ arrived Wilbur’s definitely changed.”

“Definitely.” Tommy agreed.

“What are we going to do?” Tubbo asked, his voice quiet, Tommy barely heard him.

“The only thing we can do, stick together, make sure Wilbur’s okay and keep a close eye on Technoblade.” Tommy replied.

Tubbo nodded, “stick together.” He repeated. Holding out his hand for Tommy to take. Tommy hesitated but clasped it firmly. 

“Always.”

_I promise..._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NEW CHAPTER :0  
> Tommy repairing his friendship with Tubbo? Yes. Here, have something wholesome. Because it's only going to get worse from here. By worse I mean story wise and writing quality wise because,,, I can't write that well dfhdkffdjkghd  
> Also thanks to my wife- uh I mean my friend who gave me the motivation to finish this chapter, ily.  
> Also,, uh- go check out her smp guys- link's in the previous chapter but epsiode 2 was posted not too long ago- I did the art for the thumbnail...heh-
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-MUQUJByKA
> 
> BUT HOW ARE WE FEELING GUYS??? NOVEMBER 16TH????? AAAAAAAAA-


	6. The Proposition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> British man-child gets lost in the woods,, uhoh-

With all the things that had happened recently Tommy shouldn’t expect them to get better, he shouldn’t expect them to get worse either. Yet here he was, standing in the middle of the forest. Completely alone with absolutely no sign of his friends anywhere. Panic overwhelmed him as the shadows twisted and formed around him. Wilbur had sent him out to look for more supplies, and as he walked he eventually lost his way and turned up dangerously close to Manberg. In the few weeks that had passed Tommy noticed that the small nation had expanded, reflecting Schlatt’s promise to ‘expand his empire’ and build more and more buildings. But he really didn’t need to rub it in their faces.

Tommy cursed under his breath, usually he had a good sense of direction, but apparently today just wasn’t his day. While he walked, he thought about his promise to Tubbo, he was glad they were on good terms again, he really was. He shuddered, remembering what he had done the first few weeks after he was named vice-president. Sure, Tommy was still a bit jealous, but not as much as he had been before. Yet he still couldn’t shake Tubbo’s pained expression every time Tommy had yelled at him or simply refused to talk to him. He regretted it, though he never really admitted it. He hadn’t even apologized. He probably should. In the end, this was all Wilbur’s fault anyway, what with his decreasing mental stability.

His insanity. Which Technoblade was only fueling more each day. Though Tommy never dared say a word in front of Tubbo, he did know The Blade. Personally too. Both Wilbur and Technoblade actually. The secret that Tommy was in fact the younger brother of the two was not a well known one, in fact Tommy barely remembered what it had been like before he came to the DreamSMP. He’d remembered going off on his own at 14 after a rather harsh argument with...with _him_ and then he’d left. Two years later Wilbur had shown up in the SMP after leaving home on his own accord, he’d instantly recognized Tommy and Tommy himself had tried his very best not to get caught up in his antics. Alas it seemed he couldn’t help it, with all the mess he was in now.

Technoblade was a different case. Tommy hadn’t seen him in over 6 years. After all, Techno had been the oldest of the three brothers and he’d left home a long time ago. Tommy had barely recognized him. Covered in many battle scars, wounds and his long flowing pink hair which had been fairly short from what Tommy had remembered, now tied back in a braid. Wilbur had recognized him almost immediately, wandering the woods alone he’d offered Technoblade a place in their nation. Techno had only accepted for one reason, not because they were his brothers.

Because he longed to shed some blood. Techno wanted a war, he desperately sought as much chaos as possible. The frightening fact was that Tommy didn’t doubt that Techno would mind turning against his brothers if they ever gained the upper hand in the war.

Tommy in all honesty never liked thinking about his estranged brothers, that’s why he never did. Or at least tried to. That’s why Techno’s arrival sent him spiraling. Not to mention...

_Him..._

What Tommy regretted most in this life, was that final argument, the last time he'd seen-

“You’re uh, getting awfully close to the border there buddy.” A cold voice shook Tommy out of his thoughts immediately, he froze with shock as he stood face to face with the president of _Manberg_ himself. Jschlatt.

“Oh am I?” Tommy raised an eyebrow, “I thought you said you didn’t need borders.”

Schlatt just shrugged, “huh I did didn’t I? Well whatever, you’re getting a bit too close to my country Tommy, I’m going to have to ask you to take a few steps back.” He explained politely.

Tommy didn’t move, instead gripping his sword tightly at his side.

Schlatt just laughed at that, “you always were a tricky one to manage kid, is that why Wilbur didn’t choose you as his vice president?”

“That’s none of your business.” Tommy hissed through gritted teeth, his hands were starting to tremble and he focused on trying to calm himself down, slowing the tremors. 

“Hey I’m just saying,” Schlatt held his hands up innocently, “he’s your brother right? It’s just weird that he’d choose a stranger over you.”

Now that brought Tommy’s attention. How did he know about his complicated family situation? 

“Tubbo isn’t a stranger.” Was all Tommy allowed himself to say. He watched as Schlatt seemed to chew this over in his head, and Tommy shifted on his feet, restless. His mind screamed at him to either run or attack, however his body refused to move.

“Well anyway, in my opinion I would’ve picked someone close to me, relative or not. You never know who might betray you in the end.” 

“I didn’t ask for your opinion!” Tommy spat, barely unable to contain his rage, Schlatt’s words reigniting the flame he’d tried to extinguish all those months ago. There was an edge to the president's words… And it was hard not to feel intrigued by what he had to say, it was almost like he _wanted_ to listen. 

Schlatt glanced at him for a moment, his eyes narrowing slightly, his lips curled into an unsettling smile as he let out a breathless chuckle.

“You’ve always had more fire than the other’s Tommy, you’re not a follower, you’re a leader. Actually, you remind me of myself when I was your age-”

“I’m nothing like you!” Tommy yelled, his anger bubbling on the surface, one more comment from Schlatt and he was sure to explode. He couldn’t calm himself down, he wouldn’t hesitate to drive his sword right through Schlatt’s throat. But just that thought made him hesitate for a moment. Slaughter, as provoked as it may be, wasn’t the answer here. And besides, that would make him too much like _Technoblade…_

“Let’s just cut to the chase Tommy,” Schlatt's voice became sharper, more commanding, “I want you to join Manberg.”

Him? Join Manberg? Tommy’s head was spinning. How could Schlatt possibly think that he’d betray his brothers and his best friend? To what, become another member of Schlatt’s party? No, there was no way. Tommy couldn’t believe that- that it was such a tempting offer… He cursed at himself for that, this was what Schlatt did. He got inside your head, messed up the way you saw things and manipulated him until you gave him and joined him. At least that was what Tommy thought could have happened to Quackity.

“Come on Tommy, you don't belong here, not with them.” Schlatt murmured, “you're so much better than they are!”

“Wilbur needs me—” 

“Do you seriously think Wilbur gives a shit about you?” Schlatt asked, his voice wasn't harsh. No it was soft, gentle, seemingly filled with genuine sympathy. Or at least from what Tommy could tell.

“No, he doesn't,” Schlatt went on, “but I do, Tommy on Manberg you could be so much more. Do so much more. I'm even willing to make you my right hand man!”

Tommy only realized that he was actually trembling. But he didn't even know what he was attempting to contain anymore. Was it anger? Was it anxiety? Or was it fear of the truth in Schlatt’s words? Because no matter how much Tommy wanted him to be wrong, he was right. Wilbur didn't care about him, he had Tubbo. Tubbo, his vice-president in Tommy's place. Tubbo, his right hand man. Tubbo, Tommy's own best friend…

No, he shouldn’t listen. Schlatt didn’t care either way. He just wanted Pogtopia to have as many opposing enemies as possible. It wasn’t like he cared either. No one cared… Maybe Tubbo did but Tommy didn’t know what to believe anymore.

However, now here was a thought Tommy liked. He could take up Schlatt’s offer, go to Manberg, but become a spy instead. He could spy on Schlatt and report back to Wilbur with news of Schlatt’s latest plans. He could finally be useful! Wilbur might finally see that Tommy was actually worth something, that he could do just as much as he could. 

“So kid, what’ll it be?” 

Tommy made his choice.

Tommy bit his lip, pretending to act unsure, “I- I don’t know-”

“I’ll give you time to think about it, but remember Tommy, I’m not the most patient man,” he warned, “I’ll give you till sundown tomorrow, if you don’t show up here-” 

Tommy just nodded weakly and turned on his heels before stalking away through the woods. His breath catching in his throat as he prepared to tell Wilbur everything. Hopefully, Wilbur would let him do this. Infiltrate Manberg, gain Schlatt’s trust, and hopefully get their nation back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> chapter 6 huh? yeah i thought i'd never get this done tbh-  
> i was lacking so much motivation do finish this but apparently i can only ever write like this when i'm supposed to be doing college work-  
> but uhhh,, i hope you guys enjoy! a little more schlatt for my wife sdsdsdf and all you other schlatt simps out there <3  
> oh and tommy angst i guess- but that's not really a surprise there-
> 
> oh and apparently sleepy bois inc is canon now??? what with phil joining the smp and calling wilbur his son- i wasn't too sure how to incorporate it properly so i decided on yet another tommy-centric angst chapter filled with at least some explanation to it all and why he never really thought to mention it before-  
> but holy shit that finale KILLED me guys,, i couldn't even pog through the pain- ;-;


	7. The Decision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy tells Wilbur about his run in with Schlatt and Tubbo has a bit too much depresso in his espresso :/

“Wait, Schlatt wants you to  _ what _ ?” 

Of course Wilbur reacted just the way Tommy thought he would. The older man was staring at him with shock and disbelief written across his face. Tommy shifted uncomfortably under his brother’s gaze, hoping he’d at least let him explain before he accused him of anything.

“Join Manberg,” Tommy repeated, “but I-”

“Are you?” Wilbur’s eyes tightened. Now it was Tommy’s turn to be surprised. He stared at Wilbur completely dumbfounded, did he have zero faith in him at all? Did he really think that he’d just betray his own family? His own best friend? Now all that Schlatt said was starting to make more and more sense…

_ No, no, no- Schlatt’s just as wrong as Wilbur is at the moment- _

Tommy knew there was no way Schlatt cared. He may be young but he wasn’t stupid. He knew when he was being manipulated or used, and Schlatt was all about manipulation. In fact it seemed he was so good at it that he’d somehow gotten Quackity to completely trust and confide in him. It was sickening the way Quackity followed Schlatt around like a lovestruck fool. How could anyone love Schlatt? It made no sense to Tommy. And there was no way Quackity out of nowhere fell head over heels for the Manbergian President just like that, Schlatt had obviously done something to him to make him that way. Maybe Tommy could figure out just what he had done when he turned spy-

“Are you insane?” Tommy retorted, “there’s no way in hell I’d join Schlatt just like that!”

Wilbur regarded him carefully for a couple of seconds, clearly questioning his earlier hesitation to respond. He paced around the cave restlessly, muttering under his breath, too low for Tommy to hear. 

“Then what are you going to do? Refuse his offer?” 

“Actually I had an idea.” Tommy replied, making sure to keep his voice level.

Wilbur raised an eyebrow at him questioningly, “what sort of idea?” He asked.

“I could go to Manberg like Schlatt said, but I can get information for you guys!” He explained, “all I need to do is gain Schlatt’s trust and then I can be a double agent, y’know like one of those cool spies but better, because it’s me.” He grinned. 

Wilbur paused, halting his pacing as he ran over Tommy’s words in his head. Tommy waited for the other man to make his decision. 

“And you’re  _ sure  _ he can trust you?” Wilbur’s eyes tightened again as he stared at Tommy with a sort of wild desperation in his eyes, Wilbur saw the plan clearly, and it gave him hope. If Tommy was able to infiltrate Manberg safely and gain the president's complete trust he could further exploit his secrets and reclaim Manberg as theirs once again.  _ L’Manberg _ .

“Well I’m pretty sure if he didn’t have some faith that I’d accept his offer he wouldn’t have asked me in the first place.” Tommy pointed out.

Wilbur nodded before he let out a deep sigh, he placed his hands on Tommy’s shoulders. His eyes filled with - was that  _ concern _ ?

“You’ll be safe right?”

Tommy forced himself to hide his shock. It was surprising, mainly because Wilbur barely showed his true emotions. Even with his family. But something welled in Tommy’s chest, he was happy, happy that Wilbur actually cared for his brother in at least  _ some  _ way. 

“You know me Wil, I’m always safe.” He grinned.

Wilbur hesitated, but nodded, releasing Tommy’s shoulders and continuing to pace along the stone hallway.

Now all Tommy had to do was break the news to Tubbo that he’d be away for - well possibly a while? He was leaving Pogtopia, his home, his friends and family-

He’d be back. 

* * *

Luckily he found Tubbo easily enough, the other boy was sitting on the hill, watching the sun set below the trees. Tommy knew Tubbo was feeling homesick, it was obvious despite how much he tried to hide it. Now Tommy would be returning to their old home. He’d be leaving Tubbo alone with no one but Wilbur and Techno for company. Tommy shuddered, he would have hated this even more if Tubbo hadn’t been here. With just his brothers for company Tommy would have probably gone mad by now. He was thankful to have Tubbo by his side.

He wondered for a moment if turning spy was such a good thing to do. It was highly dangerous and if Schlatt ever found out about his true motivations to why he joined Manberg in the first place-

He had to stay positive for now, it’s all he could do.

“Hey big man.” Tommy sat beside Tubbo, careful not to startle his best friend.

“Hey Tommy…” Tubbo whispered, his voice broken as if he had been crying - shit he was crying. 

“So…” Tommy trailed off, what would Tubbo think of him leaving? It was too much to deal with; he never imagined the impact it would have on Tubbo. The two relied on each other for almost everything. As they always had. Before L’Manburg, before Wilbur. Back when the discs still mattered. The discs… Maybe one day he’d finish what he started and finally get them back.

“There’s a new plan,” Tommy continued, “Schlatt wants me to join Manberg and-”

Tubbo immediately looked up from the sunset at once, his eyes round and filled with both shock and fear. “You’re not- you’re not going to are you?”

Tommy swallowed hard. Why did everyone automatically assume he was just going to pack up and betray them like that? Did his loyalty - that he had proved many times over again - mean absolutely nothing to them? Even his best friend?

“Of course not!” He snapped before calming himself down again, “but I have a plan. I'm going to infiltrate Manberg as a spy. Make Schlatt trust me.” He explained quickly.

Tubbo fell silent for a moment, like Wilbur he seemed to be debating this. But of course Tubbo was more anxious of the plan than Wilbur had seemed skeptical. A worried expression lit up Tubbo's face as he turned back to stare at his best friend.

“It… It doesn't seem safe.” Tubbo whispered.

“It's not. But I have to do this for us.” Tommy shrugged.

Tubbo shook his head again, “I don't think you should go. There had to be another way to get L'Manberg back.”

“We've been here how many weeks? And we're no closer to getting back our nation than we were when we first arrived at this godforsaken cave. Even Technoblade isn't doing anything for our cause, he just wants blood!” Tommy deadpanned. Tubbo's eyes raked the ground, he choked out a shaky breath. Tommy put his arms around his best friend's shoulders in a comforting gesture, or well - the best he could manage. He was never really the best at the comforting type of thing in all honesty.

“I have to do this Tubbo…” Tommy continued, his voice softer than before, “and we'll have our nation back in no time.”

“You promise you'll be back?” Tubbo croaked. 

Tommy turned his gaze to the setting sun, knowing what Tubbo meant by his words. “I will.” He promised.

“If you get caught Schlatt won't be happy… He- he might- Tommy if Schlatt finds out you're only a spy he'll  _ kill  _ you- this is too dangerous! You- you might _die_...” Tubbo told him, Tommy swallowed hard, knowing what Tubbo was saying was true. Schlatt definitely didn't seem the type to take betrayal lightly. Instead of facing it, he shook the anxiety that came with Tubbo's words off and sighed quietly. He just looked back at his friend and grinned, the familiar spark flashing in his eyes.

“Oh c'mon big man, it's never  _ my _ time to die.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh - Merry Christmas?  
> It's been a while since I last updated dkdgsksgsjs I may or may not have gotten a little distracted-   
> I hope you don't mind the length of these chapters being kinda short. There's a choice of making this fic with a few but long chapters or I can just drag it out even further with a lot of short chapters dkdhsjshs and to be fair I'm not the best at long detailed chapters if that wasn't already obvious :/  
> Uh anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter - as short as it was and I'll try to update again as soon as possible!!!


	8. The Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy's actually concerned about his safety for once, Technoblade tries to help in his own unique way, Tommy's a dick and apparently Wilbur doesn't care that his brother may die :/

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not good at making up titles, sorry.

When noon came around the next day anxiety overwhelmed Tommy. Tubbo's words from last night played over through his head. The words only know getting to him, making him doubt everything he'd planned so far. His head was spinning, he couldn't think properly. What if Wilbur's doubts were right too? What if Schlatt didn't trust him? What if he was just _killed_ as soon as they arrived in Manberg - _L'Manberg._

Though, there wasn't much Schlatt could gain from that. If he had _wanted_ to kill Tommy he would have done so. That very moment in the woods where he had stood alone. Schlatt definitely had some sort of plan, though Tommy wasn't exactly sure what at this point. He was too complicated to read. 

Usually if you looked hard enough, you could read a person. You could tell almost everything about them just by how they acted, and Tommy, being a very charismatic person had very good practice when it came to doing so. Yet Schlatt was a different case. He was constantly changing his demeanor, acting a different way, it was almost confusing. Tommy wasn't too sure what to think of Schlatt at this point. He just knew he had to stay on guard, if Schlatt _did_ have a greater motive he would have to stay cautious and alert.

He had to make Schlatt trust him. And when he finally trusted him enough, _that_ was when they would strike their final attack. If Schlatt wound up trusting Tommy just enough he could turn the tide on this whole war, use his trust as an advantage, it was the _perfect_ plan. He just hoped it would work just as perfectly as he had planned it.

As the sun eventually got lower and the sky started to dim a little, Tommy's anxiety was at its very peak. He paced along the entrance to Pogtopia, completely on edge. Both his brother and best friend's words replayed in his mind. What if it didn't work? _What if it didn't work what if it didn't work what it—_

“ _Someone's_ nervous.” Came an amused voice from behind. Tommy scowled, swinging on his heel to face his brother, his eyes filled with annoyance. Techno's lips twitched upward into a small smile. Though it appeared more of a _sneer_.

“Oh fuck you,” Tommy spat, “don't you have something else to be doing? Like, farming potatoes or some shit?” 

Techno showed no offense or anger at Tommy's comment, his red eyes gleaming with amusement, “y'know what you're doing is completely stupid and reckless right?” 

Oh Tommy knew. Tommy knew the risk of this operation, but he was almost completely willing to do it for L'Manberg, for his family. Especially for his family. Not just Wilbur, but Tubbo too. Tubbo was just as much as a brother than Wilbur was.

Techno on the other hand…

“And?” Tommy only demanded.

“Y'know if Phil were here—”

Tommy winced at the mention of Phil's name, the memory of his last encounter with his father too painful to remember. He attempted to shrug it off, his expression twisting into one of defiance, “well he's not here now, what the hell do you want anyway?”

“I mean I _wanted_ to wish you good luck since it's doubtful I'll ever see you again, but now I'm starting to reconsider based on how you're talking to me.” Techno replied with a slight frown, folding his arms across his chest.

Tommy scoffed, “I don't need your luck. I'll be fine.”

“Right, going into the belly of the beast, Schlatt's cabinet. The one place where in any other situation, you would have been shot on sight. Yeah I'm sure that's perfectly fine.” Techno said sarcastically.

“I'm not afraid.”

“You may say that but the way you're literally hugging your chest - a thing _you_ only do when you're _nervous_ or _afraid_ definitely contradicts that.” Techno pointed out, his voice calmer than before.

Tommy only now realized he was right, for the past few minutes his arms had been wrapped tightly around his chest, a thing only he ever did when he was nervous. Or... _afraid_ in this case, though he'd never admit it of course - _especially_ not in front of Technoblade.

“Whatever, I don't care. If it saves L'Manberg I'll take the risk.”

“Even if it costs you your own _life?_ ” Techno countered, his eyes tightened. 

That made Tommy hesitate. What if Schlatt really _did_ want to just kill him? Get him out of the picture so that there were less members of Pogtopia so that it was easier just to pick off the remaining ones. Was he really willing to _die_ for everything? He'd put his life on the line multiple times before and he'd always made it out in one piece. 

The final control room? Just a few minor - or well not so minor scratches. It was nothing _too_ extreme. Though it had thrown them off course for a while, Eret's sudden betrayal had shocked the whole nation - that _bastard_. 

His duel with Dream? While his wounds _had_ been life threatening and he _had_ been inches away from death - Niki had fixed him up no problem and he'd lived to see another day. 

Tommy was almost willing to believe in _miracles_ as stupid as it sounded. But at this point after so many brushes with death yet still being alive, how could he _not_ believe they were real? Surely by now he would have been long dead if they didn't. Call it pure dumb luck maybe but he'd faced dying too many times now to back down this time.

“It won't.”

“Tommy-” 

“Oh since when do you care?” Tommy hissed, “you never cared, not then, not now! All you care about is yourself and what - some weird _blood god_ that you seem to worship. What the fuck is that? I don't know how you were ever the favourite, all you did was fucking mess everything up!” 

Techno's eyes suddenly grew cold. It was almost frightening in a way. The hybrid's eyes glowed dangerously in a way that Tommy had never witnessed before.

“Choose your words carefully Tommy,” Techno warned, “because they might just be the last words you'll ever say to someone.” 

And with that, Techno turned away, disappearing back into the caverns. Tommy watched, ignoring the slight guilt that came afterwards. He pushed it down. He had more important things to focus on. Like how it was growing ever closer to sunset. His panic only worsened and soon he found himself gripping his side's tightly, oh god was he _really_ sure he wanted to go through with this? It was a terrible plan, _it was a terrible plan-_

He didn't realize when Tubbo and Wilbur appeared next to him, he didn't even register the comforting hand on his shoulder, Tubbo giving him a quick reassuring squeeze. Wilbur simply stood there, arms crossed as Tommy finally looked up to meet his brother's gaze. Cold and slightly unfocused. Not an ounce of concern, worry of regret that he was letting his little brother do this. 

Of course Tommy was used to Wilbur being distant by now, it seemed all his previous concern - as little as he had shown, was completely gone. Replaced with this new cold persona Wilbur tried to keep up. It annoyed Tommy, was he _trying_ to be like Technoblade? Wilbur had looked up to their older brother when they were kids, he vaguely remembered Wilbur wanting to go with Techno but Phil telling him he couldn't. Tommy did his best to hide his disgust at this.

“Do you remember what we talked about?” Wilbur asked, his voice as cold as his expression.

Tommy sighed, “always be in Schlatt's sight for the first month or so, then once I've built enough trust uncover his plans and start coming to you every so often. But not _too_ often.”

“Good. You uh - you should probably go ahead. Schlatt isn't exactly a patient man.” Wilbur commented after a couple moments of silence. Tommy frowned slightly, couldn't he at least show a _little_ compassion? They were _brother's_ for god's sake! He waited for something, _anything,_ but Wilbur's expression remained as blank as ever. Tommy thought he saw his facade break ever so slightly for a moment, displaying a brief flash of emotion but it was gone as quickly as it had come. He probably imagined it.

“Mhm,” Tommy nodded slowly, slinging a small saddle bag over his shoulder full of essential items he might possibly need - Tubbo had made him take it - and turned away slowly, his eyes setting on the sunset. He felt Tubbo shift beside him.

“Be safe.” Tubbo whispered.

Tommy smiled at him, glad he at least still had Tubbo's friendship - as sour as it had been these past few months he really believed it was starting to get better, to fix the damage he'd caused. He'd be damned if the last thing he ever did to Tubbo was hurt him... He then looked away once more, he drew in a quick breath before taking a few steps into the trees. He glanced back once, his eyes full of sorrow as he realized he wouldn't be seeing Wilbur and Tubbo for a while, possibly months depending on how long it took for Schlatt to trust him.

Tubbo's brow was creased with worry as he watched Tommy, Wilbur's expression had broken ever so slightly as he watched his brother through the trees. Perhaps the realization that his brother was walking into danger had finally hit him. Tommy tore his gaze away, barely stopping himself from breaking down right there and rushing back to the safety of his family. He took one last deep breath before he stepped forward and disappeared through the trees.

The further he walked the more his heart ached for home, part of his mind was screaming at him to turn back - there was danger ahead and he wouldn't be able to properly defend himself in Manberg. Another part of him, more confident and impulsive was eager to leave. He'd been cooped up in that cave so long that he'd almost forgotten the taste of _real_ adventure, he hadn't taken a proper risk in so long it had really started to bore him. But leaving his home, his family - going into enemy territory _alone_ was not the kind of risk he'd had in mind. Though, it was honestly better than living with _Technoblade_ again. _And people think_ I'm _the insufferable one. They should try living with the_ mighty _Technoblade._ Tommy sneered to himself.

He'd been so lost in his thoughts that he hadn't realized when he came across the very same place he'd been yesterday, he glanced up, and sure enough - Schlatt was there, waiting. But what surprised Tommy was the fact that beside him stood none other than Quackity, he couldn't help but grin at the other. Quackity glanced at him, a small smile tugging at his lips. Then it disappeared when Schlatt looked between the two, his eyes amused.

“I forget that you two knew each other before.” Schlatt mused, “you'll have plenty of time to catch up, I assume you took my offer Tommy - unless…” he broke off, his dangerous amber eyes scanning the trees for any sign of an ambush.

“Wil- no one came,” Tommy assured, “I never told them about yesterday either. They all think I'm out getting some firewood.” He lied smoothly.

Schlatt narrowed his eyes but he didn't say anything else on the matter. Instead he looked at Tommy again, his eyes gleaming. “You made the right decision Tommy. You'll be a great addition to the new Manberg.” He promised.

“I'm only coming because I want to get away from Wilbur,” Tommy deadpanned, “he probably won't even notice I'm gone.”

“We should get out of here just in case,” Schlatt said, “besides, it's getting darker and mobs will be spawning soon. And I didn't exactly bring much protection.” He gestured to Quackity and laughed. They started making their way towards Manberg, Tommy following closely behind. The excitement to have finally left Pogtopia dying down, now all he wanted was to go back. He didn't feel _safe_ here.

“Oh really?” Quackity challenged, “I could take down any fucking mob that attacked us.”

Schlatt just snorted, then his gaze drifted towards the bad around Tommy's shoulders. “What's in there, kid?”

“Food, just some things I thought I'd need.” Tommy shrugged.

“Kid you're going to fucking Manberg, we have plenty of that shit there.”

“Will I be able to move into my old house?” Tommy asked.

Schlatt exchanged a brief glance with Quackity before he shook his head, “no I want to keep a close eye on you myself, no offense - you may have taken my offer but I don't trust people so easily kid,” _Shit_ , this was going to be harder than he'd previously thought, “you'll be staying in the guest room in the white house.” 

The White House? Oh, that's what Schlatt meant by keep a close eye on him. 

“Where - _you_ live?”

“Actually Quackity just moved in so it won't just be me.”

“I don't want to hear the things you two get up to thanks.” Tommy muttered, Schlatt laughed and Quackity let out a choked sound of surprise. 

“Oh fuck you, y'know I was actually looking forward to seeing you again old pal but maybe you should've stayed in Pogtopia.” Quackity said, his tone joking as he lightly shoved Tommy.

“You know I'd rather _not_ listen to Wilbur's stupid ranting about the election over and over again thanks.” Tommy said, trying to sound somewhat annoyed with the conditions of living in Pogtopia. Though apparently he didn't have to try hard at all. The words came easily to his mind, and he _meant_ them.

“What, loverboy still upset about losing first place?” Schlatt grinned. His eyes gleeful.

Tommy found himself smiling without meaning too, “you have no idea.”

Schlatt laughed again, “I knew I had a good feeling about you Tommy, it might be worth it after all.” Schlatt paused, suddenly coming to a stop, then he straightened up, his grin widening as he turned back to face Tommy. 

Tommy stared in astonishment. As different as it looked, as much as it had grown in the past - he wasn't sure how many months… He hadn't really been keeping track of time in Pogtopia. But however long it _had_ been, he knew it must have been a while for such changes to have taken place in his former home. Because though it seemed almost foreign to him, there was no doubt that what stood before him in all its glory, was _L'Manberg._

“Welcome home Tommy.” Quackity said, punching his shoulder lightly. Tommy didn't even retaliate, too lost in his wonder to speak. How many times had he dreamed of this moment? His return to his home, his true home? He shook himself out of his daze quickly, no - this wasn't like his old home anymore. This wasn't his home. Not anymore. Not yet at least… 

Schlatt chuckled, placing a hand on Tommy's shoulder, Tommy flinched slightly at the contact but didn't speak. Still at a loss for words. The president grinned at him, Tommy couldn't even find the proper reaction. How long had he dreamed of this moment…?

Schlatt then spoke, his voice clear and ringing. Filled with pride as they stood before the nation that seemed almost completely new to Tommy.

“Welcome to _Manberg_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Confession time: I finished this two nights ago but my dumb ass literally forgot to post it but hey! I actually remembered this time so yay me, I finally did something.
> 
> This chapter is… Probably one of the longest ones I've done so far. About 2.5k words to be exact, wow. But we've finally reached the point, Tommy joining Manberg, good for him good for him. There will probably be a few chapters between this and the announcement of the festival, I really don't want to rush things. 
> 
> Just know I'm not really good with filling in gaps because usually I just want to get straight to the angst and drama - but between this and the festival there will probably be a few side chapters, I have a few ideas, such as a deeper insight to Tubbo's POV maybe and Wilbur's spiral into madness. Probably more of Schlatt's POV (ngl I actually like writing him) and possibly - possibly either a Technoblade or Fundy chapter.
> 
> I don't wanna switch POV's too much, you probably noticed it's mainly Tommy's mixed with Schlatt and one mini Wilbur chapter. 
> 
> Anyway uh - thank you for reading so far. I know updates are slow, I'm a slow writer skshskshs I can't promise I can get updates out any faster at this point but I'll try.
> 
> Also thank you so much for almost 400 kudos - holy shit I literally have no words sksbskshsksj thank you <3


	9. The Tour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt takes Tommy on a tour of Manberg, Tommy finally gets to see Niki again.

_ “It's not fair! I'm always the last one for everything!” Tommy complained, a teenage Wilbur regarded him carefully, an amused expression lit up his features. _

_ “That's because you're the  _ youngest _.” Wilbur reminded him, still grinning widely. _

_ “So what? That doesn't mean I have to be picked last for every single thing!” Tommy retorted. _

_ “Hate to break it to ya but it kinda does, it's just the way things are.” Wilbur said, the same signature grin plastered on his face from before. _

_ Tommy frowned, his expression twisted into one of confusion and anger. “Well I  _ hate  _ the way things are. I hate sitting here watching as you and Techno get picked first while I'm barely noticed!” He snapped back. Wilbur's grin faltered ever so slightly at his words. _

_ “Phil-” _

_ “He doesn't even care about me!” Tommy cried, he felt the tears falling down his cheeks, “but you and Techno are always praised!” _

_ “He does care about you! Phil just shows his affection in different ways.” Wilbur murmured, his voice softer than before. Comforting almost. _

_ “Yeah! He shows none, none to  _ me  _ at least.” _

_ “Tommy-” _

_ “Whatever, I don't care.” _

_ “Tommy please-” _

_ Wilbur pulled him into a hug, Tommy tried to squirm away, he protested - he doesn't need Wilbur's comfort. He doesn't. He can handle himself, he's almost 10 after all.  _

_ “I don't...I don't care…” Tommy croaked, his voice broken. _

_ Wilbur hugged him tighter, his older brother shushed him, muttering words of comfort to him. He often did this anytime Tommy got worked up, and most of the time it didn't really work. This time though Tommy was just too tired to keep on fighting him. He was so, so tired. _

_ “Phil loves you Tommy, he might not show it in the best way, but he does.” _

_ Tommy sunk into his brother's arms, and didn't utter a single word. Just thankful for the embrace alone.  _

* * *

“Do you always talk in your fucking sleep?”

Tommy snapped his eyes open, panic overtaking him at the strange voice - for a moment he glanced around, not recognizing his surroundings. His mind still fuzzy from sleep, he wasn't aware where he was for a moment until he saw Quackity standing beside his bed, arms folded across his chest as he looked at Tommy with what appeared as concern in his gaze. Confused for a moment, Tommy's eyes widened when last night's events all came back to him in an instant.

Right, he was in  _ Manberg _ now. Not Pogtopia. He was going to spy for Wilbur as soon as he gained enough trust from Schlatt to do so. He wasn't with his family anymore. He was -  _ alone _ .

“Are you okay?”

Well - alone in a sense.

“M' fine.” Tommy muttered, his voice still thick with sleep.

“Right, well as Schlatt said he wants to keep an eye on you. So you'll be going on a tour of Manberg today.” 

“A tour?” Tommy blinked, “I already know this place Big Q.” He snorted.

“Well there's a lotta new shit, and like I said, Schlatt wants to keep a close eye on you.” Quackity explained.

Tommy sighed. Well - at least he wasn't waking up in that dusty old cave anymore. He was sure he'd definitely got some kind of cough from all that. And it was warmer here too.  _ Why -  _ why did he feel almost... _ safer  _ here? Was it because Man— L'Manberg was his old home? He'd helped found this place. Or was it what he dreaded most. He was  _ scared  _ of Wilbur, his own brother. But who wouldn't be? With Wilbur's state of mind  _ anywhere  _ would feel safer than being near him. Suddenly Tommy couldn't help but worry about Tubbo. He'd left him alone with not one, but  _ both  _ of his maniac brothers. It was no secret that Technoblade had a few screws loose.

Maybe - maybe he could wind up convincing Schlatt to revoke Tubbo's exile? Once he trusted him enough that is.

He could only hope.

“He's waiting outside.” Quackity said, turning on his heel and heading towards the door. Tommy looked after him.

“Aren't you coming?” He asked uneasily. Not at all liking the idea of being completely alone with Schlatt. 

Quackity shook his head, “I have other things to do, but I'll catch you later,” he paused, “and for the love of god -  _ please  _ don't try anything.”

Tommy just snorted, happy to be able to talk with his old friend, “when have I ever done something like that big man.”

Quackity just smiled and closed the door behind him as he left the room, leaving Tommy alone with his thoughts.  _ I shouldn't waste time.  _ He thought, getting to his feet and looking around the spare room in the white house. He was going to be here a long time after all, and it wasn't going to get any easier. He wondered exactly how long it would take for Schlatt to completely trust him. He must've built a foundation so far. After all, he did "accept" Schlatt's offer to come with him - leaving behind his own  _ family _ . Surely that would mean something to the Manbergian president. He just hoped it was enough to start off with.

He hadn't changed out of his old clothes since his exile, due to being kicked out rather suddenly he hadn't exactly had the time to get his stuff. But looking down at the bottom of his bed he noticed for the first time a pile of neatly folded and washed clothes. His usual red and white shirt along with some new clean pants and shoes. He half smiled to himself. Huh - that was rather kind of Schlatt… 

He quickly changed into them, feeling more refreshed than he had been in months. It felt good to be wearing shoes that didn't have holes in them for once. 

He opened his door, his eyes scanning the halls of the white house, briefly remembering the way through and the entrance to the building itself. It was rather small, he remembered Wilbur and Quackity constructing it. Quackity who had poured his very soul into this very building, Tommy remembered the look of pride he'd seen in Quackity's eyes once it had finally been finished. 

Tommy walked out the white house, anxiety churned like acid in his stomach but he didn't let it show.

“Jesus kid do you usually sleep that long?” Came Schlatt's voice from beside him, Tommy frowned.

“Not usually, but you tend to get a little tired when you've been sleeping rough for the past  _ god  _ knows how long months.” Tommy snapped. Sure, he was supposed to be gaining Schlatt's trust - but that didn't mean he had to be  _ nice  _ to him.

Schlatt shrugged, “right forgot about that one,” Tommy couldn't help but glare, “just don't make a habit out of it, we're up early here in Manberg.” He started walking along the path, gesturing for Tommy to follow, reluctantly he did. To be honest, he rather be asleep right now than walk alone with the maniac who'd banished him from his own country.

“We added some new things, not much, but we finally got that wall down. Really sheds a light on the country.” Tommy clenched his fists at Schlatt's words. The walls had been built to keep them safe - though originally to show their independence, to show that they were separate from the SMP itself. The walls had become a symbol of their independence from the start. Tearing them down almost  _ connected  _ them again. Connected them to  _ Dream _ . Dream, the maniac who ran the place - Dream, who had his  _ disks _ .

“As you probably already knew, Fundy made a new flag. I didn't see a problem with the old one at first but now I can tell this one is  _ much  _ better.” Schlatt said with a grin, stopping below the giant flag pole.

Fundy, the traitor. Wilbur's son. Tommy gritted his teeth. Maybe he could teach Fundy a little lesson while he was here. He wondered where the fox hybrid was. Did he know Tommy was back? 

They continued walking along the path, Tommy - who had been staring at the wooden floor most of the time now finally looked up. The differences were outstanding. He hadn't paid much attention walking in last night, it had been dark then. But in broad daylight, standing in the very center of the country he could tell. It had definitely expanded, something he remembered Schlatt promising as he was declared president, before he exiled him and his brother and Tubbo. Schlatt had seemed to stay true to his word. 

“You've been a little quiet.” Schlatt commented after a couple of minutes of silence. 

Tommy shrugged, “not much to say.”

“Y'know I'm thankful you took my offer Tommy. You were smart to take it. And I stand by my word, you can be so much more here.” 

“I didn't come to help you with whatever it is you're doing. I came because-” Tommy swallowed hard, “because there was nothing for me back there.” 

~~_ There's nothing for me here! _ ~~

He hated just how true those words felt to him. 

“I think Niki's anxious to see you again.” Schlatt said after a few moments, Tommy was strangely grateful he hadn't pushed on what Tommy was saying before. It seemed even the president knew his boundaries. Surprising.

“Am I allowed to go say hi?” Tommy questioned.

“It's a free country ain't it?” Schlatt scoffed.

Tommy rushed over to where he saw Niki was standing by a tree. His heart swelled with warmth. Niki's face lit up immediately when she saw Tommy, and as soon as he was within distance she pulled him into a hug. Tommy practically melted into the embrace. The lack of physical affection had been unbearable in Pogtopia - Wilbur was too far busy spiraling to care for his brother anymore. And Niki - Niki was like a sister to Tommy, she always had been. And leaving her behind had hurt just as much as it had when- 

“Tommy what are you doing here?” Niki exclaimed, pulling away from the hug. 

For a moment Tommy debated telling Niki the truth, that he was eventually going to spy for Pogtopia, but decided against it almost immediately. He wasn't going to bring Niki into this, it was dangerous enough already. 

“Schlatt gave me an offer to come here and be his right hand man. And- and I accepted.” He quickly forced out.

“Why- why would you?” Niki whispered.

“There wasn't exactly much for me with Wilbur anyway…” 

“Is Tubbo okay?”

“He's fine. I- I don't think he would've come even if Schlatt offered. You know how loyal Tubbo is.” Tommy smiled weakly.

“We're going to get through this Tommy,” Niki promised, “we can get it all back.”

Tommy couldn't respond. He didn't know how. He wished he could let Niki in on their plan - but he didn't want to put her at risk anymore than she already was. He knew Schlatt hadn't been treating her fairly. He could tell by how tired and fed up she looked. The usual bright gleam in her eyes was gone, replaced with a daunting hollow look that chilled Tommy to the very bone. She looked so broken. 

“Maybe…” he whispered, his voice breaking slightly, he looked back up at her again, “it's so good to see you again.”

“And you.” Niki smiled back. Tommy could tell she genuinely meant it, but she didn't have the strength to keep the smile up. He turned back to where Schlatt was patiently standing down the hill and gave Niki a small wave before walking up to meet him.

Yeah, he was going to put that on the list. One of the things he was going to confront Schlatt about when he backstabbed him. Tommy almost smiled but he had to cover it up. Taking his country was one thing, but messing with his friends - his family, was a whole different level.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow another chapter huh  
> Sorry this one took so long I may or may not have gotten hyperfixed on Harry Potter for a while haha I may or may not still be slightly hyperfixed on it too-
> 
> But yeah here we go, the tour of Manberg, Schlatt being a proud-ass bitch as usual.   
> But y'know what's better than Schlatt? NIKI - I had to bring her into here sooner rather than later, I'm debating whether or not to add a chapter in her POV too 😳
> 
> Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this chapter ^^  
> I don't know when the next one will be out seeing as it took me almost a month with this one,, remote learnings up for me and I have a ton of work to do (I should be doing it now but I wanted to publish this) skshskshsj
> 
> Also thank you for 400+ kudos - again - this is literally the most kudos I've ever got on a work before and I'm,,,, skshsks what are you doing this fic is barely even good-


	10. The Worry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tubbo worries for his friend. Schlatt and Quackity argue and Schlatt gets pissed. Literally.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think we've established I can't make up chapter names for the life of me let's move on.

Tubbo never wanted to be Wilbur's vice-president. He never asked for this. He never  _ wanted  _ this. As much as it was a delight working with Wilbur sometimes Tubbo  _ hated  _ the way his new position had affected his friendship with Tommy. He remembered the way Tommy had looked at him when Wilbur had called his name. If he could quit, take it back,  _ anything  _ so that he wasn't Wilbur's right hand man he would. For the first few weeks Tommy had avoided him completely, only sending him glares whenever they crossed paths. Then there came the yelling. 

Tommy was blaming him for something that had been completely out of his control. Why? Because the answer was obvious. Tommy was jealous. Wilbur - his own  _ brother  _ had chosen Tubbo over him to be his vice-president. Even Tubbo didn't know why, he was sure that Wilbur would've made Tommy his first choice. He was more loyal than anyone.

Then Tommy had apologized, awkwardly, Tommy rarely apologized - but the two had started to rekindle their friendship. And though it had taken a lot of time and effort Tubbo was sure they were almost back to how they had been before. Before all of this mess.  _ Almost.  _ Now Tommy was gone. Spying for them in Manberg - if he made one wrong move… Tubbo shuddered. 

Now while Tommy was stuck alone with Schlatt for company, Tubbo was stuck alone with Wilbur and Techno. He knew them, he knew Wilbur wouldn't hurt him. But Tubbo couldn't help but tremble when he saw that crazed look in Wilbur's eyes as he discussed with Techno the many ways to get their country back. Techno, much calmer - but Tubbo knew better than to underestimate him - than his brother would simply nod along with what he said, yet never really agreeing either. 

Tubbo would silently watch, never really inputting much. What else was he supposed to do when he was worrying about his friend so much. Not that, but Wilbur's rapidly deteriorating mental state too. Part of him was almost jealous that Tommy had been able to escape. 

For a moment he wondered why Schlatt would even think of offering Tommy a place in Manberg. After all, Tommy was reckless - and surely Schlatt would know just how loyal Tommy was to his family. Wouldn't it be suspicious that Tommy had suddenly accepted his offer just like that?

Tubbo panicked. God knows what Schlatt would do if he ever found out Tommy was a spy. Imprison him?  _ Kill  _ him? His panic only worsened at the thought. 

Now, here came a thought that Tubbo hadn't dared himself to think. But now that Tommy was in enemy territory he couldn't help but wonder. What if Tommy started to  _ like  _ it there? Tubbo knew - any  _ sane  _ person would enjoy plenty of time away from the dismal cave which they lived in. Especially Tommy, and Tubbo could tell just how broken his relationship with Wilbur had become. 

He could tell just how uneasy Tommy would grow everytime Wilbur talked to him. Their dynamic had once been that which brothers shared, but losing that election had done something to Wilbur - changed him in ways Tubbo didn't know were possible. How could he blame Tommy if he  _ did _ decide to stay? But he knew he wouldn't, he  _ couldn't _ . Tommy was stupidly loyal like that. And no matter what, everything he did would be to make Wilbur proud. Tubbo could never see Tommy betraying them for someone as sick as Schlatt. At least he hoped he wouldn't. 

He just had to put faith in Tommy that he'd follow the right path. But… What even was the right path at this point? Tubbo wasn't sure. He just knew Wilbur was headed down one that he was too scared to follow.

Anyone could see it, as much as Wilbur denied it, it was true. He was losing it. He was going mad. Tubbo hated to admit it but he could see the manic glint in Wilbur's eyes as he schemed with Techno. He was going insane. But he could tell he still had  _ some  _ rational sense. At least he hadn't gone charging into Manberg declaring war or anything. As long as Wilbur didn't take this another step forward Tubbo was okay. For now. 

Despite it having only been less than a day Tubbo missed his friend dearly. Things just weren't the same without Tommy around. It was oddly quiet and without Tommy's constant rambling the atmosphere was…

Weird to say the least. It had never been _this_ quiet before. It almost unsettled him. And it was only going to get worse from here. He knew he wouldn't be seeing Tommy around for a good while, at least until Schlatt trusted him enough to let him out of his sight. Could he really last that long with _Wilbur_ and _Technoblade_ as his only company?

Speak of the devil - Tubbo straightened up as Wilbur came round the corner. His eyes tired and his brow creased with worry. 

“Tubbo? Oh there you are, I was looking for you for ages.” Wilbur sighed, “what are you doing out here? Aren't you cold? It's fucking freezing.”

Tubbo had barely noticed. Too preoccupied with his thoughts to think about the cold breeze. He shrugged nonchalantly, “not really.”

“What are you doing out here?”

Tubbo didn't reply. He just stared through the trees, almost forgetting Wilbur was there.

“Are you worried about Tommy?” Wilbur asked slowly.

“Aren't you?” Tubbo fired back without meaning too. 

“Of course I am!” Wilbur snapped.

_ Really? You don't seem to act like it.  _ Tubbo thought bitterly, not even daring himself to say it.

“I'm just wondering if letting him go there was the right thing to do.”

“Tommy wanted to help us reclaim L'Manberg. He had the right idea too. Taking down Schlatt from the inside is our best bet here.”

It was as if that was all that mattered. L'Manberg. It was all he talked about now. Tubbo understood it's importance, especially to Wilbur - but he almost felt like it was becoming some sort of unhealthy obsession that Wilbur was unwilling to let go of. 

“Yeah…” He muttered quietly, wondering what Tommy was getting up to now. Was he safe? 

“He'll be fine Tubbo,” Wilbur said, “he's Tommy after all.”

“I hope so.”

“C'mon, I think it's going to rain. And the last thing we need here is a bout of colds going round.” 

Tubbo just nodded, looking back into the trees once more, not really sure what he was searching for. He just knew he desperately wanted Tommy to come back. Here, it was safe. 

Or so he thought. 

* * *

“What did you even bring Tommy here for?” Quackity challenged, glaring at him from across the table. Schlatt simply regarded his vice-president carefully.

“Do I have to fucking spell it out for you?” He said calmly, “this was the perfect plan, the less people Wilbur has on  _ his _ side the more powerful _ we _ become.”

“What, so you're using Tommy to beat Wilbur? You're just gonna fucking turn around as soon as Wilbur's given up and say, ‘oh no hard feelings, don't need you anymore, get lost’ is that it?” Quackity snapped, the first time he'd ever raised his voice at Schlatt. And Schlatt had to admit, he admired Quackity for having the balls to do so. For once.

“God do I look like _that_ much of a fucking dick to you?” Schlatt scowled, “sure having Tommy here fits to our advantage but I meant what I said y'know.”

“You don't even care about him!” The vice-president cried. 

“Am I supposed to? The kid isn't my fucking responsibility.”

“Since  _ you _ offered to let him stay here with us he sort of is.” 

Schlatt glared. Quackity was right though, it had been  _ his  _ plan to take Tommy in.

“He's been through enough shit Schlatt. And he's a  _ fucking teenager  _ for crying out loud! He hasn't gotten to live a normal life because of all the wars Wilbur dragged him into. Tubbo too.” Quackity deadpanned.

True. Schlatt hadn't really considered that. He knew Tommy was young - he wasn't sure how young exactly. But even  _ he  _ knew bringing kids into war was entirely fucked up. And so was Wilbur. In the head apparently too. Then again, he wasn't really surprised about that.

“You seem to care an awful lot about him.”

“He's my friend.” Quackity said simply.

_ I can see that. _

“What do you expect me to do?” Schlatt demanded, “play catch with the kid, what? I may have let him live here for now but that's only because I want to keep a close eye on him. I'm not buying his crap.”

“Do you really think Tommy would've _left_ Wilbur if shit hadn't been going on back there? You know Tommy's loyal. He would only leave for a good enough reason.”

“Just because Wilbur's a shit brother doesn't mean _I_ have to start caring for him.” Schlatt said.

It reminded him of Fundy. He guessed Wilbur didn't have what it took to actually be a caring family member. Schlatt snorted.

“If you didn't at  _ least  _ care a bit you wouldn't have put out those spare clothes for him.”

Schlatt watched him carefully for a moment before he leaned back in his chair and groaned, rubbing his temples. “I don't know when you decided to get so fucking moral and shit, but it sure as hell isn't helping my headache. I have enough problems without adding a teenager to the mix. I'll talk to him tomorrow, anyway, I'm getting myself a drink.” 

Quackity watched after him, worry written across his face but he didn't protest. As Schlatt marched down the corridor he felt a strange feeling in his chest. Ugh - was that  _ guilt? _ He realized with disgust. What the  _ fuck  _ did he have to be guilty for? 

Was it because deep down he  _ knew  _ he was using Tommy? Because what Quackity had said was true? Schlatt groaned, “this is why I don't stay sober for too long.” He muttered to himself under his breath, he made his way to the kitchen. 

Opening the doors, he was surprised to see Tommy standing there, a glass of water in his hand. Schlatt almost laughed, how fucking clique.

“What are you doing up so late?” 

“Getting some water,” Tommy said, gesturing to the water with his free hand and a frown plastered on his face. He glared at Schlatt for a couple of seconds before he chugged the water right then and there. Schlatt blinked, it was almost as if the kid hadn't drank anything in months.

“Holy shit calm down kid,” Schlatt said as Tommy filled up the glass once more, he seemed to take his advice and drink the liquid slower this time, “you act as if that's the first water you've tasted in months.” 

“Clean wise, pretty much.” Tommy shrugged.

“You've been drinking dirty ass water out there?”

“Well it wasn't exactly easy to find a freshwater source was it?” Tommy snapped.

“Right, I suppose so. Don't drink too much, or you'll be up pissing all night.” Schlatt said with a frown but with a joking edge to his tone.

Tommy had already started walking towards the door, the half filled glass still in his hand. He paused suddenly, turning round to face him slightly.

“Uh… Thanks for the pyjamas.” He muttered not at all meeting his gaze and walked out the door. Schlatt blinked once before shaking his head and stepping over to the cabinet and grabbing hold of the closest bottle of whiskey he could find.

“God fucking dammit Quackity.” Schlatt sighed before taking a few quick chugs.

There was nothing Schlatt liked more than drowning his sorrows away every night. Purging his emotions. He just hoped he could drink so much that he would forget his earlier conversation with Quackity. He didn't need that bullshit in his head. He didn't need to feel  _ sorry  _ for anyone.

He didn't  _ need _ anyone. He didn't need Fundy, he didn't need Quackity and he sure as hell didn't need a bitchy teenager either. He was perfectly fine being alone.

Because that's what he always was right?

_ Alone _ . 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The fact that I was able to finish this chapter within a day and post it just a day after the previous update baffles me because I never do that but I don't think this is gonna happen again skshskshsj  
> I just,,, really wanted to write this for some reason. And I did. Till like midnight. I had nothing better to do anyway.  
> *looks at all my unfinished college work*
> 
> But here we are! I hope y'all don't mind me switching POV's a little - but I wanted my chance to write a tiny bit of Schlatt angst there :)  
> Also protective Quackity, pog!!!
> 
> Schlatt: Just because Wilbur's a shit brother doesn't mean I have to start caring for him.  
> Me: *looks at some of the dadschlatt stuff I have planned for later chapters*
> 
> I'm just desperate for Tommy to have a good family dynamic for once and it shows. C!Phil istg he needs to stop adopting other kids and get a grip already.
> 
> I mean I hope you guys like all the Schlatt stuff too. I know you do Sam, that's why I write him the way I do :) dkshskshs  
> But seriously, I have so much planned and well - y'all are gonna have to wait and see but personally I think it's poggers.
> 
> Thanks for reading <33


	11. The Hangover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt wakes up with a hangover, Tommy makes breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Mentions of heavy drinking  
> I don't know if this is enough for a trigger warning but implied/referenced heart problems n shit like that  
> It's Schlatt you know what I mean

_ “Just take him, alright?” _

_ “Wh- what? Why?” _

_ “Just... _ please _ …” _

* * *

When Schlatt woke, sprawled out on his bed he wasn't the slightest bit surprised. He'd passed out more times in the kitchen than he could count. And he knew Quackity would usually find him in such a state and bring him here.

_ I'm surprised he can carry me - what with his noodle arms.  _ Schlatt half laughed to himself. Rolling over so that he was on his side he blinked rapidly, trying to get his eyes to adjust to the sunlight. His head was pounding, but at this point he was used to it.

He squinted, his mind going back to last night - it was slightly blurry, then again, that's what he got for drinking so much. He remembered talking with Quackity, or  _ yelling  _ with Quackity. 

And his encounter with Tommy in the kitchen before his drinking session began. He winced slightly, he'd meant to forget that. Luckily, his mind was too fuzzy at the moment to register any sort of emotion right now. Good.

He groaned to himself - right, he had to talk to Tommy today. He didn't realize looking after one teenager would be so exhausting. The constant attention? He despised it. 

Then again, he needed to keep a close eye on Tommy. Maybe Quackity was right, Schlatt understood just how loyal Tommy could be. Especially to his family. Wilbur most of all. 

He pushed himself into a sitting position, a wave of fatigue washed over him. He shut his eyes tightly, how much had he drank last night? He hunched over, staring at his hands. Maybe he ought to stop drinking so much. He was bound to cross the line one of these days. For a moment he wondered if that would be so bad. He yawned, slowly getting to his feet before stumbling towards the door. His mouth was bone dry. 

He made his way to the kitchen once more. To his complete surprise he saw Quackity and Tommy sitting at the table. Quackity looked up and beamed at him, Tommy simply kept his eyes on the plate of food in front of him. Quackity beckoned him to sit down.

“You look like shit.” His vice-president remarked dryly.

“Oh fuck off.” Schlatt groaned as he took a seat beside him, grabbing the glass of water that Quackity pushed towards him, chugging the entire thing. God he felt horrible. Though, that's what he got for such heavy drinking. And he'd gladly do it again. 

“Did you know Tommy's a good cook? I came down here and he was serving up this himself. And these eggs - holy shit I can never get them right.” Quackity said with a mouthful of food. Schlatt glanced at the teenager who was sitting opposite him.

“You cooked all this?” He eyed the plate of food in front of him.

Tommy shrugged, “Wilbur's a shit cook, so I pretty much had to learn myself.”

_ Jesus hadn't this kid known a  _ normal  _ life? _

“Huh” was all Schlatt said, taking a fork and testing out part of an egg. He was pleasantly surprised too. Quackity was right, this kid could  _ cook _ . 

“Fundy dropped by earlier,” Quackity commented as Schlatt dug into his breakfast - Schlatt had to give it to Tommy, he really knew how to make eggs perfectly - he looked up, frowning. Fundy, right, yet  _ another  _ one of the fucked up Soot family tree. God he swore that the entire family was each fucked up in their own way. And Wilbur had lacked the skills to be a good father to his son, which had resulted in said son defecting to his side. At the mention of his name Schlatt noticed Tommy flinch slightly.

“What did he say?”

“Nothing really, he just said he was working on new ideas for Manberg he's eager to show off.”

Schlatt internally groaned. Great. More stuff to overlook. 

“I'll talk to him about it later.” Schlatt said with a sigh. Fundy was always so eager to catch his attention, he could tell - probably because he'd been so deprived of it from Wilbur he turned to the first other person he could find. Which unfortunately just  _ had  _ to be him. 

The three are in silence for a while until Quackity stood up and yawned rather loudly. Schlatt blinked a couple of times to keep his eyes open, still trying to get his bearings.  _ Next time, maybe don't drink so fucking much.  _ He mentally noted to himself. Quackity  _ had  _ been trying to get him to cut down on the amount of alcohol he consumed weekly, but Schlatt barely listened to him. Sometimes out of spite, just to piss him off - sometimes because he  _ needed  _ it. Maybe he was too desperate. Maybe he should really cut down. For real this time. Schlatt almost laughed aloud. Yeah, he'd never stick to that. He'd already been drinking way too long. Since… 

Well. It was a long time that was for sure. Even if he really wanted to there'd be no way he could just quit and go cold turkey just like that.

“Well, I'm heading off. Think I might just go for a walk and take a nap or something.” Quackity announced, yawning again. Judging by the dark bags under his eyes Schlatt guessed he hadn't slept well at all. 

Schlatt was about to protest, then he remembered it was Quackity's designated day off. He nodded, not saying a word as Quackity skipped out of the kitchen, leaving Schlatt and Tommy alone. 

What the fuck was he supposed to do with this kid?

“Is there  _ anything  _ interesting to do around here?” Tommy asked.

“Not really, Quackity's all the entertainment we have and well - he's off doing fuck knows what.” Schlatt replied with an uninterested tone.

He felt Tommy's glare on him as he set his gaze on the table, he looked up, scowling. 

“What? You lose something over here kid? If you're bored go find something to do.”

“I thought I couldn't go anywhere alone since you wanted to keep an eye on me.” Tommy deadpanned. 

Right. Fuck did that mean he was stuck with the kid? Sure he didn't trust him so easily but Schlatt was really starting to regret his promise to keep him in his sight at all times. He briefly wondered if even offering him to come to Manberg was a good idea in the first place. How much trouble was Tommy willing to cause. Then again, with how tired and defeated Tommy looked right now Schlatt wasn't so surprised he wasn't trying any of his usual antics.

“You could read a book or something?”

“Ugh, I don't want to read any of the stupid, old books you have.”

“Fair enough, they're all pretty boring anyway.” 

Silence settled over them once more. Schlatt closed his eyes, he hated feeling like shit. If there was one thing he could change about the drinking experience, it was the hangover. Definitely. He despised hangovers. 

He opened his eyes slowly when he heard shuffling, Tommy had set his head down on the table massaging it softly with his hands.

“What's up with you?” Schlatt asked.

Tommy didn't look up, “headache.” He muttered.

“That makes two of us.” Schlatt snorted.

Tommy looked up, his eyes slightly unfocused. The kid looked bad.

“Did you get  _ any  _ sleep last night?”

“Not really.” Tommy said with another shrug.

“When was the last time you  _ did  _ sleep?”

“A couple of days, maybe a week I think.”

“No wonder you have a fucking headache.”

Tommy just huffed.

Schlatt sighed, getting up from his chair and looking across the kitchen. He ordered outside, it looked about noon - maybe past. He knew he'd slept in a long time. Maybe Quackity had the right idea. A nap didn't sound so bad right now. Besides, half the day was already wasted. There was no point in doing anything now. Especially not when he was feeling the worst he'd felt in ages. Apparently Tommy too.

“Just get some more sleep okay. The rest of the day, the night - go ahead. Tomorrow we get down to business.” Schlatt told him.

Tommy stared for a couple of seconds before he stifled a yawn. It was hard to remember sometimes that he was still a child. Schlatt shook his head, what the  _ fuck  _ was wrong with him? He immediately regretted that when his head spun, another case of nausea followed.

“What business?” Tommy said through another yawn.

“Y'know, president stuff, the shit you did with Wilbur.”

Tommy winced, “right,” he muttered, pushing himself out of the chair and turning towards the door. Schlatt sighed and watched him leave. He stood in the middle of the deserted kitchen, his gaze set on the spot where Tommy had left.

He was right. The kid could do great things for Manberg if he put his mind to it. Maybe there was more to Tommy than Schlatt had previously thought. After all, the word was full of surprises. Perhaps Tommy wasn't all that he seemed to be. Maybe everything would work out in the end.

Schlatt staggered forward, right - no more stupid thinking or whatever the fuck was going on with him. He was going to pass out for the rest of the day and sleep through this hangover. He gritted his teeth as a wave of dizziness swept over him. A sharp pain pierced its way through his heart.

Great. 

He almost fell, but he caught himself just in time. He looked up to see Tommy watching him from the entrance to his door, his arm outstretched as if to  _ help  _ him in some way. And what appeared to be concern in his eyes. 

Schlatt clenched his fists. He didn't need anyone's pity. Tommy seemed to notice Schlatt's glare and he disappeared inside the spare room. Schlatt took a deep, trembling breath and he made his way towards his room. 

Not another episode. Not now. Fuck-

He collapsed into his bed, breathing heavily. His fingers curled around the center of his shirt where his heart was. 

He remembered Quackity's instructions.

_ Breathe… _

His heart started to slow to a normal pace again.

_ Breathe…  _

He choked out a quiet sob he was thankful no one could hear.

_ Breathe…  _

He decided maybe it was time to stop drinking altogether. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's official, I don't know what's happening.  
> Three chapters out in the space of three days? Huh - I wonder if I can keep this streak up... Probably not. I have a lot of work to catch up on now skshskshsk
> 
> Yes, 'noodle arms' is a reference to 'Betray Somebody' it's a good song, go listen to it.
> 
> Another Schlatt chapter? More likely than you think. Then again, this fic is both Tommy-centric and Schlatt-centric so-
> 
> Anyways!
> 
> Poor Schlatt :(  
> He has a serious drinking issue and he won't let anyone help him with it. I hope that doesn't cause any problems in the future.


	12. The Cabinet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy deals with a migraine, Schlatt introduces him to the rest of the cabinet.

Tommy knew Schlatt wasn't okay. That was obvious from the moment he'd walked in the kitchen that morning. Though maybe staggered was a better word. His skin was pale, almost reminiscent of a ghost. His eyes unfocused. And Tommy knew the influence of alcohol when he saw it, and it was quite clear that Schlatt had taken too much. 

He wasn't sure why he was even the slightest bit concerned, Schlatt was a dictator - he was evil, he'd exiled him. Wilbur and Tubbo too. He'd taken their country, the country they'd worked so hard for. Why was he _concerned?_

A man like Schlatt didn't deserve sympathy. But Tommy wasn't completely emotionless. And he almost found himself feeling sorry for Schlatt when he saw him in that state. _Almost_. Then again, it was hard to feel much when he had a splitting headache. 

He wasn't sure why, it had started yesterday as a slight dull throb, now it was getting worse. 

He couldn't help but feel angry when Schlatt told him to go get some rest - what did he suddenly care? 

Alas he was far too tired to protest, he was too tired to do anything really. So instead of arguing he simply got up from his chair and made his way out the kitchen towards the spare room. Not because Schlatt told him too, because he just couldn't bear to keep his eyes open any longer. His head was _killing_ him. 

He was at the door when he heard the sound of staggering footsteps. He looked up to see Schlatt grabbing onto the wall, his breaths coming out in short, pained gasps. The president took another step forward, then his knees buckled and he fell back onto the wall. Tommy took a small step forward, his hand outstretched. He didn't know why he was so concerned for the tyrant. But Tommy wasn't emotionless. He wasn't a monster - anyone would try to help. But Schlatt's glare was enough to crush the small amount of concern he held right there.

He didn't stick around to watch any longer, disappearing into the room and shutting the door behind him, listening to Schlatt stumble the rest of the way to his own room until he couldn't hear him anymore.

Tommy fell backwards onto his bed. Staring up at the ceiling. God he missed Tubbo. Wilbur? Not so much, he knew Wilbur and Techno could handle themselves without him. They had done after they'd left home. But Tubbo? He wasn't so comfortable with leaving Tubbo alone with _both_ of his psychotic brothers. 

He just hoped he was safe. 

Not that they'd try and harm Tubbo, no Techno was driven by bloodlust but he wouldn't _hurt_ Tubbo. And Wilbur may have been going mad but he wasn't in such a state where he'd _harm_ Tubbo. Tubbo was as much Tommy's brother as they were. 

And that's why he had to protect him.

Because without Tubbo… He was practically nothing. And as soon as all this was over - as soon as Schlatt was out of power they'd face Dream again. They'd face him and win and get the disks back. _Their_ disks. Then everything would be okay again. It had to be. It _had_ to be.

He could only hope. After all, Dream was ruthless. Dream was a tyrant. Even more than Schlatt. 

Dream was a _monster._ Evil and despicable.

More of a tyrant than Schlatt.

More insane than Wilbur.

More reckless than himself. He knew Dream would stop at _nothing_ to make sure he got what he wanted in the end.

That's why Tommy had to stop him. That's why they all had to stop him.

A strange feeling filled Tommy as he stared up at the ceiling, feeling completely and utterly alone. Homesickness. Thinking about Tubbo, and Wilbur - he started to miss them more than ever. 

He wouldn't be seeing them again for a while. 

Tears formed at the edges of his eyes, the stinging followed. He held them back. He was Tommy. He didn't cry, not for something so stupid. He was tough, he was big, he was-

 _Alone_.

Tommy squeezed his eyes shut tightly as his head throbbed. It had been a stressful week, he was probably just experiencing the effects of all this worry. He didn't reopen his eyes as he lay there silently, waiting for sleep to come. 

And sure enough, in his drowsy state of sleep deprivation it came pretty quickly as he lost his consciousness, a single tear slid down his cheek.

* * *

_“Tommy! Tommy, come out - Techno said he's sorry! He feels really bad about it.” Came Wilbur's voice from across the room. Tommy didn't look up, he drew his knees closer to his chest, tears stinging in his eyes. He heard his brother's footsteps grow closer._

_Wilbur poked his head round from the couch, his expression softened immediately. He crouched down beside Tommy who shuffled away from him._

_“Tommy, he didn't mean it y'know.” Wilbur whispered. Moving to put his arm around Tommy in a comforting gesture. Tommy shrugged him off, eyes blazing._

_“If he was sorry he'd show up and apologize himself!” Tommy seethed._

_“You know Techno isn't that good with emotions and stuff.”_

_“That doesn't give him the right to be a dick!”_

_“First off all, you're a child, watch your mouth. Second of all, he told me he was sorry. If you just went and talked to him about it you guys could make up.” Wilbur sighed, placing his arm on Tommy's shoulder, the latter didn't try to move away this time._

_“He's a jerk, I don't want to talk to him.” Tommy said, his voice hoarse from crying._

_“He told me what he said, he really regrets it too-”_

_“He told me I wasn't his brother! That you'd all be better off without me!” Tommy sobbed, “Techno isn't sorry, why would he be?”_

_“Because he's your brother. And you know families fight. Me and Techno fight all the time. But we never mean_ any _of the horrible things we say, alright?” Wilbur said with a soft smile._

_“He said my mum was a goat.” Tommy mumbled. Wilbur scoffed._

_“Now that's Techno for you,” Wilbur said, rolling his eyes, “if your mother was a goat you'd be one freaky looking kid.” He added jokingly. A small smile tugged at the edges of Tommy's lips._

_“I guess…” he said with a small chuckle._

_“There. Now would you stop sulking and come outside so I can finish beating you at chess?” Wilbur said, his tone teasing._

_Tommy glared at him, “as if you'll win!”_

_Wilbur hopped to his feet, “the last one outside has to do all the chores for the rest of the month!” He said as he started sprinting away._

_Tommy scrambled to his feet, and started to chase after his older brother, his eyes gleaming, “hey no fair!”_

* * *

Tommy woke around dawn, his headache had eased ever so slightly but it hadn't completely gone either. He was surprised to find he'd slept through the rest of the day and the entire night too. He sat up, groaning as his skull started throbbing again. If this didn't go _soon_ he'd have to do something about it. Surely there was a potion _somewhere_ that could help if it got any worse. He hoped that it didn't. This was bad enough to deal with already. 

Usually he'd never sleep that long. It had always been too cold back in Pogtopia, and the blankets they had weren't exactly _good_ blankets. Not to mention Wilbur often woke him up before it was even light sometimes. Tommy had to admit, this was probably the best night's sleep he'd had in a while. He wasn't exactly sure how long it had been since he'd had such a peaceful night's sleep.

Sluggishly, he got out of bed, his eyelids drooping slightly - his brain hadn't fully woken up yet. He dressed himself in his usual gear and made his way out the door. He was pretty hungry, so he decided for old times sake to raid the kitchen. He vowed if Schlatt didn't at least have chocolate or something he was going to rage. It had been so long since he'd had something sweet to eat. 

He walked into the kitchen, checking each cupboard to see if there was any sign of sweets or chocolates. Just when he thought he was out of luck he opened the very top one and to his delight there was a whole stash. He grinned to himself, feeling more like a kid than he had in ages. Sure he hated being called a child but it was nice to finally act like one again. His mind went back when he used to rob sweets from the kitchen behind Wilbur's back. He'd be so furious when he found out… 

He took a handful, unable to hide the smirk that lit up his features. Just because he was spying for Wilbur that didn't mean he couldn't enjoy himself while he was here too, after all, he would have to be under Schlatt's careful watch for a while before he could start visiting again. 

He shoved a couple of chocolates in his pockets, best save a few for later. He was about to grab a few more when he heard the door to the kitchen open. Startled, he almost lost balance and fell off the chair he was using to reach - he was tall but admittedly the top shelf was _much_ higher than he was - but luckily he regained his footing before he could tumble.

Of course it was Schlatt standing there, somehow already beside the chair like he'd moved their extra fast. _Right,_ Tommy thought, _I mean I did almost break my neck._ Though he was surprised Schlatt would even care if he did or not.

“Holy shit kid,” Schlatt breathed, his eyes wide, “what are you even doing up there anyway?”

As he asked that, one of the chocolates Tommy was holding fell out of his arms and dropped to the floor at the president's feet. Schlatt looked at the chocolates and then his face. He grinned mischievously. 

Tommy could tell he looked a lot better than he had yesterday. His skin was still slightly pale - he looked exhausted but at least he wasn't clutching his chest and stumbling into walls. Tommy wondered what that was all about anyway. Did Schlatt have some sort of illness?

“Y'know those are Quackity's right? He's gonna be pissed if he found out you took em' all.” Schlatt told him.

“He shouldn't put them in such an obvious, easy to reach place then.” Tommy retorted, stepping down from the chair, taking a bite out of one of them. 

Schlatt scoffed, “it's your neck. I take it you slept well huh?”

Tommy shrugged, “I guess.”

“Good, because today you start working hard. I didn't just let you come back to Manberg for free.” Schlatt said, a hard edge to his tone.

“What is this, child labour?” Tommy snorted.

“Funny kid, no - as a member of my cabinet you'll be making sure Manberg's in proper order. Cleaning up the country.” Schlatt explained, his eyes never leaving Tommy's face.

“What exactly do I have to do?” Tommy asked, frowning a bit.

“Paper work, make new plans, build on the new plans, listen to your president, _support_ your president. All that jazz.”

 _You're not my president._ Tommy thought bitterly.

“Is that it?”

“Didn't you do any of this when Wilbur was president?” Schlatt asked, exasperated.

“I wasn't involved in much of the important shit.” Tommy replied, his voice dull as he remembered all the private meetings Wilbur would hold and drag Tubbo off to. Sometimes Tommy wouldn't see Tubbo for days with all the work Wilbur set him off to.

“Right, I forgot about that.” Schlatt sighed, “I'll keep it basic for now then, you don't have to do all the important stuff just yet. You can do paper work till I can be bothered to teach you all that other stuff.”

He knew the real reason Schlatt was keeping him from the _important_ meetings. It was because he didn't trust all of Manberg's deepest secrets with him. Though - fair. He'd only been here a short while. He wondered how long it would take for him to finally be able to sit in there.

Tommy nodded, ignoring the throbbing in his skull that it created. Briefly he thought about speaking out about it then decided against it, he wasn't in Pogtopia anymore, Schlatt wouldn't care. Then again, would Wilbur…? Tommy shook the question out of his head. He really didn't want to think so negative today, he was already dealing with a headache and feeling homesick as it was. That was enough trouble for him to cope with.

After a couple of moments of silence and Tommy snacking on a few of the sweets he still held in his hands, Schlatt beckoned him to follow as they walked through the white house, through the small corridors to where the meeting room was. He guessed it was where the cabinet just met up when they had something to discuss. And was Tommy really ready to be a part of that?

He didn't speak as he followed Schlatt, putting the rest of the food in his pockets so his hands were free. Then Schlatt led him into a smaller room, fit with a table and four chairs. Sat at two were both Quackity and Fundy, Tommy's eyes narrowed slightly. Fundy watched him, his eyes wide. Tommy guessed no one had told him that he was coming. 

Schlatt sat at a chair next to Quackity, Tommy on the edge of the table beside him. He looked around, ignoring Fundy's stare. And instead remained quiet. Anxiety churned like acid in his stomach.

And here it began. He'd start off small at first but when the time came he'd be ready.

For Wilbur, for Tubbo. For _L'Manberg_.

Schlatt looked around the table, his eyes gleaming as he spoke, “gentlemen, I'd like you to welcome the newest member of our cabinet.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so I continue my streak.  
> I don't know how long this is going to last.  
> I still don't know how I'm managing daily uploads like this. I think it must be my gf's influence or something.
> 
> Every chapter I get closer to writing some good dadschlatt content and I'm like,,, "yes"  
> It can't come any faster 😔  
> I'm the one writing this fic and I'm impatient.  
> I still can't rush anything though. I gotta pace this out :/
> 
> Flashback, pog. Relevance? For one there's something important in there to the plot and two, I needed a chance to write some good brother Wilbur content too :)
> 
> Anyways, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!!! <3  
> Also please, if you have any leave some constructive criticism, I know my writing isn't the best so if you have any tips for me to improve I'm open to hearing them.


	13. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy sits in on his first official meeting with the cabinet, Schlatt has a brief talk with Dream.

So Tommy wasn't entirely sure what his job was. He was a member of Schlatt's cabinet but if he wasn't trusted to sit in on the most important meetings then what was he supposed to do? He simply sat, quiet as ever as Schlatt went on about his further plans for Manberg. Apparently he wasn't done rubbing it in their faces that he'd won. He'd taken down the walls, made Fundy burn their flag - hadn't he done _enough_? 

Speaking of Fundy, the fox hybrid had been glancing at him every so often. Tommy glared at him a couple of times, wondering what the other's problem was. Even if Fundy thought he'd betrayed Pogtopia why did he seem so judgemental? He was the one who'd betrayed his family for real. Though Tommy had to admit - Wilbur was a shitty dad as much as he was a shitty brother. But that didn't make it anymore right that Fundy had betrayed his own flesh and blood without a second thought.

Around him he heard the endless chatter of Quackity as the latter started rambling about something Tommy was too uninterested in to even find out. He showed no sign of stopping either. It really didn't help the fact that his headache had somehow gotten even _worse_ in the last twenty minutes. Tommy almost groaned audibly. He glanced over to his side where Schlatt was listening with the same bored expression. He looked over at Tommy and grimaced, silently complaining right along with him. Finally, Schlatt seemed to have enough and interrupted his vice-president. Tommy sighed in relief. Thankful for the peace and quiet, Schlatt's voice was low as he discussed with the rest of the cabinet his plans, like he could tell that Tommy was in discomfort. Huh, that was… Nice of him?

Strange how Schlatt had been weirdly nice to him. The clothes, the concern he showed when Tommy had been exhausted yesterday, how he'd practically rushed to his side when he'd almost fallen off that chair. Tommy couldn't help but question _why_ Schlatt would so much as consider helping him, after all he was only here as a member of his cabinet and nothing more. 

Tommy just couldn't wrap his head around it. Sometimes he'd be nice, then he'd go back to being an insufferable dictator who'd ruined their lives. For a moment the president's odd behaviour reminded him of how Wilbur used to take care of him back when he was a kid. He almost smiled at the memory, why couldn't Wilbur still be like that now? He'd give anything to relive those good times again. Back when Wilbur didn't prioritize his country over his family… It was almost like Wilbur truly believed that L'Manberg was worth more than he ever was. Maybe he _did_. 

“You still with us kid?”

Tommy shook himself out of his daze, snapping his head round to meet Schlatt's eyes. He was waiting silently, Tommy realized Quackity and Fundy were now staring at him too. Oh Ender - how long had he been unresponsive for?

“Yeah I was just, thinking I guess.” Tommy replied quickly. He could feel their eyes on him all around. He felt slightly uneasy.

“As I was saying,” Schlatt went on, “to get you used to all this cabinet work, for now you can just handle the small things. Like I said before, paperwork, planning, shit like that. Till you get used to the work round here you can start doing the more important things with us too.”

Tommy nodded. 

“Think of it as uh - training course or something like that.” Schlatt tracked on as an afterthought. That was basic enough, something he could handle. And he'd be able to gather more important information too. What he was leaning now wouldn't be of any use to Pogtopia - a plan to build a restaurant? Yeah, wouldn't exactly help much with their revolution. Schlatt's alcohol addiction? Definitely not, those were just some issues the president _really_ needed to sort out.

Then again, the more Tommy thought about it. The more it became clear. Schlatt was sick - there was no doubt about that. And he was even weaker when he was consuming so much alcohol too… Tommy pushed that thought away. Sure Schlatt was a dick, but using _that_ against him? Tommy wasn't _completely_ heartless. He wasn't so sure about Wilbur though. As much as Schlatt deserved to suffer this was _not_ the way to go through with it. If Schlatt had to die in the end, it should be quick. No one deserved such a painful and horrible way to go. Not even a dictator.

 _As much as he_ might _deserve it._

“If I may ask,” Fundy spoke up suddenly, “why did _Tommy_ randomly decide to join Manberg anyway?” His eyes narrowed slightly. Tommy glared.

“Tommy joined because I offered. He made his choice, the right choice.” Schlatt replied, his tone hardened.

“So we just have to trust him?” Fundy cried.

“ _If_ he proves himself to be a valuable and hardworking member of Manberg, yes.”

Fundy looked outraged, Quackity let out a small snicker. “What, jealous because you might be replaced?” He sneered. The fur on Fundy's ears bristled.

“Whatever, I'm out of here. You guys can finish the meeting without me.” Fundy snapped back, he lurched to his feet and stormed out the room. Tommy's watched, his lips twitching upwards into a smile.

“Jesus fucking Christ what is with him sometimes?” Schlatt seemed to murmur to himself.

“What do you expect, he has daddy issues.” Quackity giggled.

“If that wasn't obvious enough.”

“Call him a ‘little furry fox boy’ and see what happens.” Tommy input, unable to contain himself any longer. What, was he expected to just sit here in silence while they made fun of _Fundy_? Of course he had to join in one way or another. It was physically impossible not to.

Schlatt laughed, his eyes gleaming as he shook his head, “I don't know what his deal is. Whatever, just let him calm down.” He said with a shrug, seemingly not at all bothered.

“Hey, I have an idea.” Quackity piped up after the room had finally fallen silent, Tommy winced.

“That's a first.” Schlatt muttered.

“Oh fuck you.” Quackity said with a playful edge to his tone.

Tommy _really_ didn't want to be here. As much as he had to, but he really didn't want to stick around and watch Schlatt and Quackity tease each other and argue like an old married couple. It was revolting.

“As I was saying,” Quackity went on, “I have an idea - Tommy can help me with the planning for the restaurant. It's simple enough, and it sure beats paperwork.”

“Hm - sure that doesn't sound too bad.” Schlatt mused, “I'll stay here and sort the boring shit out.” He said grinning.

“You can join us y'know?” Quackity said, his tone a lot softer than before, losing all its tease edge. It was sincere, almost filled with worry.

“Nah you guys go on, you still haven't had a chance to properly catch up. Don't let me ruin the fun.” Schlatt scoffed lightly.

Quackity gave him another worried glance before he turned to Tommy and subtly shook his head so that Schlatt wouldn't notice. He turned to leave, Tommy scrambled up from his chair and started to follow him. He briefly glanced back at Schlatt who was facing the other way. Quackity then tugged on his shoulder, he took one more look over the room and followed him out. His head was aching even worse than before. Why was it only getting _worse?_

* * *

Schlatt didn't need anyone. Right? No, he'd been fine before Tommy, before Quackity, before… _No_ , he just didn't need anyone. Why should he? He'd managed this long without anybody, and he could sure as hell manage without them now. He had to admit he was a little stubborn at times but that was for the best. He couldn't risk himself getting _attached_ to anything. Not like last time. He simply had to cut all ties, let go, be himself. He'd wind up losing something if it ever happened again.

He watched Quackity and Tommy leave almost tempted to go himself, but he stayed, ignoring Quackity's concerned glance as he left the room. He heard Tommy hesitate a moment, then his footsteps drew away. Once again leaving Schlatt alone. He leaned back in his chair and sighed, at least it was quiet now. He didn't have to listen to Quackity's insufferable ranting.

Boredom washed over him. In all honesty he didn't really have much to do, he momentarily considered breaking out a bottle of whiskey but decided against it. Tommy had already seen him in that shape, he didn't need _both_ Tommy and Quackity seeing him stumble over his own feet. Not to mention Quackity still didn't know about the episode he'd had yesterday. He had to admit, he was slightly thankful that Quackity _cared._ It was annoying as hell but no matter what Schlatt did his vice-president still stood by his side. 

God what the fuck was wrong with him. He was getting all emotional again.

He shot up when he heard someone knock against the door, he let out an audible groan, he quickly fixed his crooked tie. “Come in.” He called out. It was probably Fundy, great - what did he want _now_?

Instead of Fundy walking through the door as he expected he was shocked to see none other than _Dream_ himself stood at the entrance of the door. Schlatt's eyes narrowed as Dream walked closer to him. Great, he'd rather it was Fundy. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Dream today.

“What do you want?” Schlatt demanded.

Dream stood there idle for a moment before he pulled out a chair and sat across from Schlatt, he tugged his mask down further, completely concealing his face. _Pussy,_ Schlatt thought, _not even looking anyone in the eye properly._ He waited for the other man, wondering what business he could possibly have here.

“Can't I just say hi to my favourite president?” Dream asked, Schlatt didn't know if he was grinning or not under the mask but judging by the tone of his voice he most likely was. 

Schlatt's gaze hardened, “ _what_ do you _want_ Dream?” He asked, “I thought you were helping those Pogtopian assholes?”

“You know I'd rather not choose sides here. I was just wondering why _Tommy_ was just walking around Manberg with Quackity.” Dream said cooly. Schlatt froze, the way he said Tommy's name. There was something about his voice that he just didn't like. He'd heard all about Dream and Tommy's war - that they weren't exactly on the best terms. But the way Dream _spoke_ about him. It didn't feel right. An odd protective feeling rose in his chest as he turned back to glare at Dream.

“Tommy joined Manberg because I offered him to.” Schlatt replied, his voice hard. Dream noticed this and he shifted closer.

“Are you sure you can trust him? This is Tommy we're talking about.” Dream whispered. Schlatt regarded him carefully.

“With time I believe I can.” 

“Letting him in could mess everything up, are you seriously willing to lose all this because you slipped up and invited him here?” 

“Lets just cut the fucking bullshit already,” Schlatt snarled, “you can manipulate the shit out of the others but you can't fool me. Like I said, Tommy accepted my offer to come here by his own accord. That's it.”

Dream held up his hands innocently, “I wasn't trying anything Mr. President. I was just wondering if you really made the right decision. You know how loyal Tommy is to Wilbur.” 

“Y'know Dream I'd say this was a lovely chat we just had but I can't lie to you. If that's all you came to say I'd appreciate it if you could leave, if you hadn't noticed I'm sort of busy right now.” He signalled to the piles of paperwork in front of him, not even bothering to hide his annoyance.

“That's fair. You seem to have a lot of faith that Tommy won't disappoint you. Maybe one day we could all meet up and just have a nice talk.” Dream offered. 

Just like before the same feeling rose in Schlatt's chest, there was just something in the way Dream said Tommy's name. He knew full well that Dream practically despised Tommy. After all, Tommy was the one who had sealed their independence by giving Dream his most prized possessions. What _else_ did Dream want from him? Schlatt, confused as to why, just knew he shouldn't let Dream be alone with Tommy. Ender, what was wrong with him? He wasn't supposed to suddenly care for the kid, he _didn't_ care for him. Then why… 

He sighed, “maybe, who knows.” Was all he allowed himself to say.

“I could even help keep a very close eye on him to make sure he doesn't try anything that could possibly disrupt the peace in Manberg.”

“I can do that myself thanks. Now if you don't mind I'd like to be left alone.” Schlatt snapped. Dream simply nodded as he got to his feet and started towards the door.

“Good day, Mr. President.” Was all he said before he closed the door behind him. As soon as he was gone Schlatt fell backwards onto his chair once more, his head in his hands. What the _fuck_ was wrong with him. Why did he suddenly feel so different, why, when it was Tommy in danger he felt the sudden _need_ to… _Protect_ him? He let out a deep sigh. It was probably just withdrawal maybe. Could you get withdrawal so early? He didn't know, he'd never felt this way since- 

He wasn't sure… 

“What the fuck is wrong with me?”

* * *

_“It's- no it's stupid.”_

_“I'm all ears pal.”_

_“It's just a feeling, like - you just have to be there for them y'know?”_

_“You're right, that does sound stupid.”_

_“You're not making this any easier for me to explain, mate.”_

_“Alright I promise I won't judge.”_

_“It's like- they're your kid y'know? It's hard to explain, all you know is you just_ have _to look after them... No matter the danger.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another daily update?  
> Sam what have you done to me.
> 
> Tommy being suspicious of why Schlatt's acting nice to him?  
> Tommy, please seek therapy, as surprising as it may be Schlatt's actually being nice. Or - well as nice as he can be.
> 
> Uh oh Dream. What's he gonna do?
> 
> Schlatt being suspicious of Dream's behaviour towards Tommy, actually feeling the need to protect Tommy from Dream? Wow, okay goat man.  
> I promise I'm not writing him so out of character on purpose this really does have something to do with the important plot.
> 
> I cannot make it anymore obvious at this point.
> 
> Thank you for reading, I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter!  
> Also thank you so much for 500 kudos, I never imagined I'd get as many as I have. And it really helps motivate me to write more knowing people out their actually like this. So thank you again, y'all are awesome <333


	14. Fear

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things have been going well in Manberg for Tommy so far, he shouldn't really be getting too comfortable - but it's not all fun and games when he discovers something that sets him on edge.

It had been a little over two weeks since Tommy had taken up Schlatt's offer and things had certainly changed a lot. For one, he was more homesick than ever. He didn't exactly miss Pogtopia itself - living in such a damp and cold cave had been a nightmare - no he missed Tubbo. He desperately wanted to see his friend again, but over the week Schlatt - as promised had made sure he was never alone.

Either sending Quackity to certain places with him or even at watching over him himself. Usually though Schlatt closed himself inside his office, he claimed he was doing a lot of paperwork but Tommy could see the empty bottles of whiskey at his feet whenever he and Quackity went in. Quackity expressed his concern over this, he'd confided in Tommy about Schlatt's drinking problem and Tommy had listened. And a problem it was indeed. 

“I  _ try  _ to get him to stop and drink less but he just refuses to let me help.” He'd ranted for at least twenty minutes at that point, but Tommy didn't tell him to stop. Quackity was really the only person he could talk to these days. Especially since he couldn't really see Niki much, and who in their right mind would talk to Fundy? He'd never really been close with anyone else if he were being honest. He just wished he could see Tubbo again. He wondered how Wilbur was treating him. 

In the first week that he'd been here Quackity had taught him a lot about his new job, since he didn't really know much to begin with they had to start from scratch. Quackity had even cursed Wilbur out a little under his breath, Tommy had smiled at that. But it didn't change the fact that he missed his brother too. He'd also encountered Dream too, that day he'd left with Quackity he'd noticed the masked man shuffling into Schlatt's office. Tommy wondered what he could possibly be discussing with Schlatt in there, then again he didn't need to think hard. Dream didn't exactly know the reason why he was here in the first place. No doubt he'd be pissed.

His headache had only gotten worse too. He thought it would get better, he'd taken some painkillers to try and calm it down at least but it had only been getting more and more painful. He'd talked to Quackity about it too, the latter told him it was probably due to stress, change in environments and that it would most likely go away when he got more comfortable and less anxious. But it didn't. And it was really starting to become a problem, to the point of clutching his head in agony - leaving him to wonder what the source of it was exactly. And he just wanted it to go away. 

But he tried to go about life as normal as possible, not seeming suspicious in any way. Though his spying hadn't really started, and it wouldn't until he was trusted enough to sit in on the important meetings with the cabinet and smuggle that information back to Pogtopia when he was able to sneak out. He hadn't really thought much about that, how  _ was  _ he going to sneak away in the first place when he was forced to live in the same house as Schlatt and Quackity? He'd just have to cross that bridge when he came to it. Really, he just couldn't wait to see Tubbo again.

On the days Schlatt wasn't cooped up in his office - most likely drinking - he was sitting in the living room, usually reading some massive book or sleeping. Tommy had called him old for that, Schlatt had just laughed. Which was… Strange. Schlatt had been oddly nice the past few days, and it seemed almost genuine to Tommy - it wasn't forced like it had been on their first meeting. It was weird… Sometimes it reminded him of how Wilbur had acted before he'd left Pogtopia. He shuddered at the thought. He didn't know why Schlatt was being nice but he sure as hell wasn't going to trust it. It was Schlatt for crying out loud! Schlatt was evil, Schlatt was a tyrant… Schlatt,  _ cared  _ for him?

No, it was a trick. It must be. He didn't know what Schlatt was planning either but he wasn't - he  _ wouldn't  _ fall for it. No one like Schlatt could be suddenly nice without a motive. Though, he did have his off days. Sometimes he completely ignored Tommy, treating him as if he weren't even there. It reminded him of… Wilbur… Almost. But why did he care? Schlatt was nothing to him. He wasn't his president, he wasn't his ally - he wasn't his friend. He was… He was the enemy. He was the enemy, he always would be

Quackity rarely spoke ill of Schlatt. The guy admired him so much Tommy was surprised. He spoke about how he treated him well most days, Tommy couldn't help but notice Quackity's wince at the word  _ most.  _ But apparently he'd gotten better. He'd succeeded in monitoring Schlatt's drinking and only giving him two or three bottles when he needed them. Tommy didn't know much about alcoholism but he knew very well that you couldn't just quit like that. It took a long process. And Quackity was willing to go through that process with Schlatt and help him all the way through it. And when Tommy had asked what their relationship was exactly Quackity had frozen.

“It's uh - it's complicated.” The vice-president had let out a nervous laugh and proceeded to immediately change the subject, Tommy didn't press on the matter any further either. Right, he didn't need to know what was going on with those two.

There had been a few days when Schlatt didn't bother setting them off to do any tasks, but simply allowed them both to rest. They'd simply sit in the living room, either completely silent or chatting about their day. Most notably Quackity, who'd often talk non-stop. Schlatt would watch with an amused expression as Tommy groaned into his hands, begging the vice-president to shut up for once. they'd bicker and argue, sometimes Tommy would watch on the sidelines as Quackity and Schlatt argued about something stupid. 

It sometimes reminded him of home, when Wilbur and Techno would argue over the smallest of things. They'd always manage to make up afterwards. And so did Schlatt and Quackity. Even though neither of them apologized they'd be laughing along with each other an hour later.

They ate dinner together almost every evening. Quackity would often cook. He was brilliant at it and Tommy admired his work. They'd usually eat in silence, unless of course Quackity was in the mood to ramble, in that case he'd put up with it as best as he could. As much torture as it was. Fundy was sometimes come along too, but most days he was hanging around Niki's house keeping her company or brooding alone in his own house.

He really had to admit, it was… Nice. 

Maybe he shouldn't be enjoying himself so much… But he didn't exactly have much else to do did he? So he might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

As Tommy sat down at the table that evening, he hoped for at least a quiet dinner - his head was literally killing him today. Obviously that was not the case since Quackity was already chattering by the time he'd set his plate down in front of him. Schlatt, who was in one of his better moods today rolled his eyes in a playful manner, jabbing at his food with a fork as he pretended to listen to what Quackity was babbling on about.

“So Fundy fucking comes up behind me and scares the shit outta me - I almost dropped the axe on my foot!” Quackity was saying, for dramatic effect he slammed his fork down in between his fingers. Tommy winced, not thankful at all for the noise.

_ It's a shame he didn't.  _ Tommy joked to himself. 

Schlatt seemed to have the same joke in mind as he grinned, “really too bad you didn't, then you wouldn't have been able to walk here and tell the story.” 

“Hey fuck you I might have died!”

“It's just your foot, Quackity.”

“Blood loss!” Quackity retorted, raising his voice. Tommy flinched again.

“I  _ wish  _ he could have. It's really hard to focus on dinner when you're screaming about your oh so terrible near death experience.” Tommy said, rolling his eyes.

Quackity glared at him, “you're siding with him now?” He feigned shock, placing his hand over his heart, “I feel so betrayed!”

“Anything to finally get you to shut up for once.” Tommy replied, still grinning.

“Toms is right Quackity, if you won't shut up I might just kick you out myself.” Schlatt added. Quackity glared at him.

“I can't believe it. You're both against me. How did this ever happen.” He sighed.

“Shut up and we might consider apologizing.” Tommy muttered.

“ _ Might. _ ” Schlatt said through his food.

Quackity just frowned, the playful glint still in his eyes as he spoke under his breath, “you guys suck.” Which caused Schlatt to fling a single pea at him using his fork. It hit Quackity in the eye as he let out a startled shriek and snapped his head round to face the president, his hand covering his eye. 

“Real fucking mature!” Quackity snapped as Tommy burst into a fit of laughter, ignoring the severe throbbing in his skull that it caused. Schlatt chuckled lightly.

“In my defense I didn't think it would go in your eye.” At his words Quackity only glared harder with his single eye.

“Mhm sure. Whatever, I'm off to bed anyway.” Quackity went to get up from his chair but stumbled and almost fell over, his hand catching himself on the table just in time. He stormed out the kitchen. Tommy cracked up even harder.

“Goodnight  _ hon _ !” Schlatt called after him with a teasing tone.

“Fuck off!” 

Tommy's laughter died down as the pain in his skull worsened, Schlatt just shook his head, smiling to himself. 

As pain spiked through his head Tommy immediately regretted laughing as hard as he did. Fuck he'd only made it worse, more painful than it had been before. He ran his fingers through his hair then stopped, his fingers trailing over a very small bump. What the fuck? A bump surely wasn't a good sign. Was that the cause of all the pain? He put pressure on it with his finger and retracted his hand quickly when his head throbbed even harder. Yup, definitely the source. He looked up to see Schlatt looking over at him, that same concerned expression on his face as he studied him carefully.

“Everything alright kid?”

Tommy swallowed hard. Bumps. Bumps were  _ never  _ a good thing. Tommy paled slightly at the thought. God what if - what if he was dying or something?

“Tommy?” Schlatt's voice was laced with concern. Tommy didn't understand why he'd be so worried. For a moment he debated telling him, but decided against it.

“Just feel kinda sick, that's all.” Tommy replied, his voice a little shaky.  _ There was a fucking bump.  _ He hadn't even noticed.

“You do look a little pale. Alright - get some rest. You don't have to work tomorrow either. I can't have the newest member of my cabinet falling badly ill in his first month.” He said, his voice commanding but soft.  _ Why is he acting so weird? _

Tommy nodded, regretting that too. He shakily got to his feet. Now he really  _ did _ feel sick. He moved towards the door.

“If you feel any worse, tell me or Quackity.”

Tommy didn't say anything, as soon as he was out the door he rushed to his room, ignoring the dizziness he felt as he pushed himself to run. He opened the door and sped towards the mirror. Parting his hair and searching for where the strange bump had been. 

There was nothing out of the ordinary. Though the bump wasn't visible he could sure as hell feel it. Panic overtook him. Did he have a fucking tumor? Was he- was he going to _die_? Was it only going to get _worse_? He swayed on his feet as that thought entered his mind, and moved over towards his bed and curled up under the blankets.

Tommy had dealt with many things before. He'd dealt with a war when he was just thirteen coming on fourteen. He'd faced Dream himself. He'd faced exile, the worst thing imaginable. But the fear of a death he couldn't stop, that he couldn't run from?

That night, Tommy felt suddenly more alone than he ever had before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another daily update.  
> How long can I keep this up?
> 
> Very small timeskip? Yes. 
> 
> Basically just a jist of what happened n shit.  
> The chapters that were too short to write anything in between.
> 
> Another family dinner, pog. I'm sorry I had do. The cabinet family is fuelling me what can I say also - dadschlatt :D  
> And of course Quackity being Quackity and Schlatt and Tommy doing what they do best and making fun of him.
> 
> Uh oh, headaches getting worse :/  
> Uh oh, a bump?   
> Poor Tommy. Having to deal with this shit on his own. Reminds me of how Schlatt refuses help and deals with shit on his own to. Well, you know the saying guys, like—
> 
> I'm really not good at subtly teasing things you guys should know at this point.
> 
> Skshskshs anyway, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!! <3


	15. The Guilt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt finds that Tommy living with them in Manberg isn't so bad after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This fic is getting rather long so if you're bringing the entirety of this here, this is your official statement from me. Drink some water, eat some food, have a nap before you continue :)

_ “Are you fucking kidding me?” _

_ “What're you going on about now?” _

_ “Your little brat just kicked me, again!” _

_ “Oh did he? Oh sorry mate I don't think I saw that one.” _

_ “And this is why I'm never having kids.” _

* * *

Living with Tommy in the white house wasn't as bad as Schlatt thought it would be. He'd be lying if he said he didn't completely enjoy the kids company. Sure he could be bratty, annoying, a lot to deal with sometimes but he did make life a lot more interesting that was for sure. He found it hard to believe himself that he'd adjusted so well to Tommy being here he almost couldn't imagine what it would be like if he'd never offered him a place at all. Sometimes he almost entirely forgot about his original plan and simply enjoyed the times he had. But he always reminded himself never to get too attached. 

Tommy was a good kid, he didn't deserve everything that he'd been through. With Dream especially. Schlatt knew that much. And the need to protect Tommy when Dream was around only grew stronger, he didn't know why, he didn't know why he suddenly felt as if he were responsible for the kids safety, or why he wanted to keep him safe and close. He'd try and shake it off, maybe it was just his emotions going haywire as he  _ tried  _ to stop drinking so much. Maybe that was the reason. His emotions were just all over the place again, he hadn't expected to feel this much again - but it was nothing a little whiskey couldn't solve. For the night at least.

Tommy had definitely made life a lot brighter in Manberg, something Schlatt hadn't exactly planned for but then again, he hadn't exactly planned for much to happen. He'd only become the president because… Well he knew a broken country when he saw one, and Wilbur hadn't been going anywhere. So many pointless wars, so much loss - and for what? This crummy peace of land he kept locked inside those walls? 

Contrary to popular belief he wasn't a complete monster. He wasn't going to start any wars. When he'd ran in the election he'd only wanted only one thing,  _ power.  _ Now, he wasn't sure what he wanted. It was a stretch he knew, how could he have gone from that to not being sure why he'd ran in that election in the first place? What had changed?

More than anything he desperately wanted to know the answer himself.

Quackity was patient. Quackity was patient with him - kind too, when he wasn't being so dramatic. More kind than Schlatt deserved. After the way he treated him when he first became president. He'd stopped being so harsh, he'd regularly listened to Quackity's ideas for Manberg, sure some of them were a little far fetched but he did have quite a few good ones. It was almost as if he were trying to be  _ better.  _ But for what? He'd set out here with no attachments, no specific goal in mind than to simply cause chaos, but again - something had changed. And it had all started when… 

When Tommy had accepted his offer and came to Manberg.

It was still so confusing, he still didn't know  _ why  _ he felt he needed to be closer with the kid - to protect him from the slightest danger. He didn't know what was going on with him! He just hoped he could figure it out soon before the confusion got the best of him.

He spent most of the evenings after dinner in his office, trying to get some peace and quiet. He'd often hear Quackity and Tommy laughing down the corridors, joking with each other - sometimes he wished he could join in with their banter, have a laugh too. But he kept his distance. He wouldn't let himself get attached to someone,  _ anyone  _ \- not again. 

He didn't know what his goal was at the moment anymore, sure he liked the power of his status as president, he wasn't willing to give that up. But he'd come here seeking to destroy the country Wilbur had cared about so much from within. Now from afar, still asking himself - what had changed?

It was dinner that night which started off rather ordinary, Quackity had started babbling the moment they all sat down and Schlatt was forced to listen. He'd teased Quackity, keeping his tone as light-hearted as possible and Quackity, being dramatic as always had stormed off after Schlatt had - very accidentally - flicked a pea in his eye using a fork. Tommy had immediately cracked up, Schlatt couldn't help but laugh along with him. Then he noticed after Tommy's laughter died down that he seemed frozen, he'd gone white as a sheet - the same protectiveness rose in Schlatt again at Tommy's discomfort, he barely acknowledged it. Still far too concerned.

“Everything alright kid?” He asked, Tommy looked up to meet his gaze - his own eyes full of sheer panic and… Was that  _ fear?  _

Schlatt waited for a reply but Tommy looked as pale as a ghost, staring at him with an unreadable expression on his face.

“Tommy?” He asked again, more concerned than ever.

“Just feel kinda sick, that's all.” Tommy replied, Schlatt noticed the way his voice trembled, that explained the paleness of his skin. But it didn't explain why he'd looked so scared before.

“You do look a little pale. Alright - get some rest. You don't have to work tomorrow either. I can't have the newest member of my cabinet falling badly ill in his first month.” Schlatt told him, his voice soft.

All Tommy did was nod as he shakily got to his feet - Schlatt almost got to his own feet to lead him to his room himself but decided against it. Tommy was capable enough, besides, it was just a sickness - he didn't know why he was so concerned for him. It wasn't exactly dangerous unless it turned into something worse.

“If you feel any worse, tell me or Quackity.” He said quickly once the thought entered his mind. And he watched as Tommy left the kitchen and heard his footsteps retreat quickly - Schlatt inhaled deeply. If Tommy  _ was _ coming down with a sickness he'd have to take precautions so that he or Quackity didn't catch it. The last thing he needed was a bug going round. 

A wave of exhaustion swept over him. He hadn't been sleeping too good at all these past few days. He really ought to get an early night's sleep for once. And for the first time that evening, Schlatt walked out the kitchen without a second thought of even having a drink. He made his way towards his room - not at all too surprised to see Quackity looking in the mirror, studying his eye closely. Schlatt rolled his eyes.

“So, are you blind or what?” Schlatt snorted.

Quackity spun around in his heel, the eye that had been - very weakly - damaged was now open and glaring. He seemed annoyed but Schlatt could see the small smirk plastered on his face. 

“Surprisingly, no. But who knows what could've happened.” Quackity huffed.

“Right, whatever.” 

“Has Tommy turned in early or something?” Quackity asked, obviously wondering why he'd come in so much early then usual.

Schlatt nodded, “kid said he felt sick, he looked it too, so I'm giving him the day off tomorrow. Watch out, I don't know if there's a bug going round or anything.”

Quackity visibly shuddered. Schlatt knew he  _ hated  _ getting sick. And he'd no doubt avoid Tommy like the plague for the next couple of days. Who would blame him? Schlatt didn't want to feel like shit either. But he also didn't want Tommy to suffer with the sickness alone. No one would have. 

“I hope whatever it passes soon then.” Quackity said.

“Hmm.” Schlatt hummed in agreement.

As Schlatt sat on the edge of the bed, idly running his fingers over his horns he didn't notice Quackity come to sit beside him. 

“Something's changed about you Schlatt.” Quackity mused after a couple moments of silence. Schlatt didn't look up from where he kept his gaze on the floor.

“Meaning?” Schlatt asked - so Quackity had noticed too?

“I mean you're not - let me rephrase. You're different.” Quackity said.

Schlatt waited for him to continue.

“It's been three weeks since Tommy came here, and anyone can see the impact in that time. You've been… Happier.”

“Happier? What are you suggesting I'm happy because  _ Tommy's  _ here?” Schlatt said with a scoff. 

“It might be one of the reasons,” Quackity shrugged lightly, “and I can tell you do care for him too - honestly I thought you were just gonna use him like a pawn and just toss him aside or something. Which really would've been a shitty move. But you've changed.”

Schlatt remembered why he'd invited Tommy to join Manberg in the first place. He'd seen how broken he was and exploited that weakness in hopes that he could turn him against his brothers so Pogtopia could fall and there'd be no risk of him ever losing his power. He knew how much Tommy valued his family, he knew it would've been difficult to gain the kids trust - and now that he thought back about that  _ guilt  _ washed over him. What Quackity said had been true. He'd been willing to use Tommy against Wilbur and nothing more. But he hadn't exactly planned for the sudden protectiveness he felt for the kid. That definitely interfered a  _ lot _ with his plans.

He'd meant what he'd said though. Thinking back to their first meeting, he remembered what he'd said.

_ ‘Do you seriously think Wilbur gives a shit about you?’ _

He'd tried to make Tommy doubt Wilbur.

_ ‘No, he doesn't,’ _

Was he really that much of a complete  _ dick? _

_ ‘...but I do.’ _

Did he?

“I don't.” Schlatt forced out, his tone harsher than he meant it to be.

“Right,” Quackity laughed quietly, “sometimes I swear Schlatt you act like the kids dad with how much you seem to protect him like that.”

Schlatt froze.  _ No.  _ He didn't notice how his breathing had picked up ever so slightly. He could never be a father. Not to- no. He wasn't good enough, he wasn't good enough, he wasn't—

“Schlatt?”

“Whatever,” Schlatt shook his head, getting himself together again, he got to his feet as Quackity looked up confused.

“Where are you going?”

“For a walk, I don't think I'm gonna be able to sleep this early.” 

“I could come with you if you'd like.” Quackity offered, he looked worried. Like he knew Schlatt probably had something else in mind.

“I won't be long, I'll see you later.”

Without another word he rushed out the room, his thoughts clashing together. Fuck, fuck -  _ fuck.  _ This definitely had something to do with the fact he was drinking less. He'd been able to drown his emotions out before, it helped close his mind off from the past - it was better than facing it. He didn't know why everything had gone  _ wrong.  _ He'd been closed off before this- before he'd let Tommy join. What had that kid done to him?

He stopped by Tommy's door, it was open slightly. He must've forgotten to close it properly. 

He opened it a little, peering in the room as he saw Tommy curled up, the blanket at the foot of his bed - his eyebrows pinched together as he slept soundlessly. He shivered once, Schlatt hesitated but moved forward, making no sound as he gently grabbed the edge of the blanket and pulled it over Tommy's sleeping frame. The boy relaxed slightly, no longer cold. Schlatt stood there for a couple of seconds - a strange warm feeling filled his chest for a moment before he turned away and closed the door quietly behind him.

He stood there, wondering why he'd done that. Why, when he'd originally intended to only use Tommy for his plans - why did he suddenly  _ care  _ for him? 

Schlatt's brain was a mess as he searched it for an answer, any answer but as usual he came up empty and confused.

Fuck this, he needed a drink.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aw shit, here we go again  
> Also I hope y'all don't mind the short chapter thing I'm doing. I want this fic to be sorta long so I'm doing that with shorter chapters.  
> It also helps me get updates out quicker too.
> 
> Schlatt POV, pog.  
> Schlatt, not knowing why he suddenly cares for the gremlin child: What the fuck is going on with me lately.  
> Me, looking at the lore I have planned: Dadschlatt :)
> 
> Schlatt angst, oop - my hand must've slipped.  
> Aw but would you look at that, Schlatt, the dictator, the president of Manberg, the alcholohic ram bitch - tucking in Tommy :)
> 
> I think most of you know the other part of this AU by now. I've given up teasing it slowly, I make it too obvious - now we just gotta wait for them to figure it out too :/
> 
> Thanks for reading!!!  
> I hope you enjoyed <3


	16. The Discovery [Part One]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy actually gets sick and he doesn't know why, wonders why Schlatt /still/ seems to care and makes a startling discovery...

Tommy woke up, feeling somehow worse than he had yesterday. His mind was fuzzy as he started to wake up fully - his anxiety spiked, it took him a few more minutes to remember why. Oh right, he'd only just discovered a strange, painful bump on his head that had been the cause of his never ending migraine. And today it seemed to be worse since his discovery. Ender knows  _ what  _ it could be. He had no recollection of hitting his head lately and he certainly didn't feel concussed or anything. A tumor? 

He wasn't sure, he hadn't exactly assessed the spot where the bump had formed to know whether or not it  _ could  _ be something like that. But it seemed like the most possible and most likely answer. And Tommy knew that bumps were never a good thing. Technoblade had told him that much, he remembered Techno explaining how their mum had passed away because of it. And there was nothing anyone could have done. And so began the paranoia that he'd end up the same way. That the cruel hands of fate would pry him away from this world far too early. Because Tommy, he  _ really  _ didn't want to die.

He didn't move from his bed, he couldn't bring himself to. His head was slumped against his pillow as he stared at the ceiling. His thoughts racing. Maybe he'd just lie here and waste away until he was nothing. He was scared - terrified, more than he had ever been before. He didn't know how to even handle this. He just wished Tubbo was here, Wilbur,  _ anyone.  _ It had been three weeks and he didn't even know how his family was coping, maybe Wilbur was coping just fine without him - finally free from him, maybe he missed him? How could Tommy even be sure at this point. He hadn't seen them in what felt like forever.

He didn't know what he was supposed to do. Go on as if nothing had happened? Like he hadn't even discovered the terrifying cause of his headaches? His headache, which was only getting  _ worse  _ with each passing moment. Maybe he really was getting sick because of this. Did that usually happen? He could feel himself sweating, he didn't know if that was due to worry or the fact that he may be getting some sort of temperature. But he felt sick, his head was spinning, he just couldn't focus.

When he heard the door open he slowly lolled his head back to face whoever was coming in. He wasn't even the slightest bit surprised when Schlatt walked in, looking just as exhausted as Tommy felt. He could tell he'd been drinking and was just suffering the effects of a hangover, though not as severe as last time. He stopped, looking worried as his tired eyes scanned Tommy's face. Then again, he did that a lot now. Tommy didn't know why but it started to bug him. It was probably just one of Schlatt's games, pretending he cared about him so he'd stay. It reminded him of how Wilbur had acted before he'd left Pogtopia. But Schlatt seemed genuinely concerned, huh - he must be a really good actor. Tommy almost believed he was worried about him.

Schlatt stopped by his bed, grimacing slightly. “How're you feeling kid?” He asked. Tommy watched him carefully. His head throbbing as he tried to focus, it only seemed to worsen for some reason as Schlatt walked into the room.

“I've been better.” Tommy replied, every word he spoke made his head pound even more. It hurt so much, he just wanted it to stop already. It hurt so much.  _ It hurts— _

_ ‘Wilby it hurts!’ _

_ ‘It's just a scratch Toms, hang on - there, all patched up see?’ _

_ ‘M' not gonna die?’ _

_ ‘Of course you're not, I won't let that happen.’ _

He blinked open his eyes when he felt slight pressure against his forehead, Schlatt seemed to be checking his temperature. But even the slightest pressure hurt, he hissed under his breath, hoping Schlatt didn't notice. The latter pulled his hand away and looked at Tommy with that same worried expression.

“You definitely have some kind of temperature, you're sweating your ass off in here.” The president moved towards the windows and started to open them a little before he turned back towards Tommy, “are you up to eating anything just yet?”

Why was he being so weirdly nice? He hadn't acted this way when he first came to Manberg. The complete opposite actually. But after a few days he'd started acting different towards him. And not just him but Quackity too. And it had all started around the time Tommy's headache had first come in. Though, that didn't have anything to do with it, it was merely a coincidence. 

On the topic of food though, Tommy felt somewhat hungry but the thought of eating anything at the moment made his stomach turn. He swallowed hard, feeling as if he was about to throw up. He knew he only felt sick because of the bump he'd found and the worry and paranoia that came with it, but it felt as real as a normal bug anyway. He inhaled deeply, trying to force the sick feeling away.

He didn't want to talk, talking made his head hurt. But shaking his head but hurt even more. So he braced himself and replied quietly with, “not yet.” He squeezed his eyes shut tightly. He wished Wilbur was here so he could tell him what was going on… About the headache, about everything. But he wasn't. Tommy was alone- but… Maybe he could tell Schlatt? Or Quackity? He definitely trusted Quackity a lot more but Schlatt… Did Schlatt actually care for him? No, he couldn't. Schlatt didn't seem like the type of person to change so quickly, though it seemed he already had. His anxiety screamed at him - it was all just an act.

“What else is wrong?” Schlatt asked after a moment.

“Nothin'.” Tommy replied quickly. 

“You can't fool me kid, I can tell something else is up.” Schlatt told him sternly. His tone of voice reminded him of… Phil's for a moment. He'd often used that voice with him, Wilbur and Techno when they were younger… 

“Just… Just a bad headache that's all.” Tommy muttered, technically it wasn't a complete lie. His head was absolutely  _ killing  _ him, he'd just left about the other part that's all. And that's all Schlatt needed to know. As if he cared whether Tommy lived or died.

“I'll ask Quackity if he can find something to help ease that for you.” Schlatt promised, “I'll check in on you in the evening and bring you something to eat then. Can't have my secretary of state starving can we?”

“Huh, wait - what time is it?” Tommy asked, squinting his eyes. 

“Just past noon, you slept in a while.”

He really had. He hadn't been expecting to sleep in so long yet still felt exhausted. Maybe that came with the bump - he refused to call it a tumor - and it had drained the energy out of him. Probably. He felt as lifeless as he looked. 

“Rest up kid, it's the only way you'll feel better.” Schlatt said, his voice almost soothing as he left, leaving the door open. Tommy was thankful, it helped more of a breeze come through. He hadn't realized just how hot it was in this room. No wonder he'd been sweating so much, he thought that had just been him. Tommy rolled his head back so that he was facing the other way, his face pointing towards the window.

Why did he feel so much worse today?

He groaned quietly, sinking further into his covers, a wave of exhaustion washed over him. He felt as if he'd barely slept. He didn't know why he felt as tired as he did. He didn't know if he'd be able to sleep as his head continued to ache and throb relentlessly. It was almost downright agonizing. He sighed, he could feel his eyelids drooping. He decided to take Schlatt's advice and rest, there was nothing else he could do really other than wait now. He closed his eyes and within minutes fell into a slumber.

* * *

_ “Tommy lie down, you're sick” Wilbur said, frowning as Tommy squirmed from under the covers, Wilbur sighed. _

_ “M' not sick.” Tommy responded as he stifled a cough, Wilbur glared at him, clearly not amused.  _

_ “Please just stay still Tommy! You're never going to get better if you don't rest!” Commanded his older brother as he once again tried to calm him down, Tommy shook his head furiously. No, because he  _ wasn't  _ sick. And even if he was, he wanted Phil to come see him, why wasn't Phil helping him instead? _

_ “Where's dad?” He muttered. _

_ “He's out with Techno on an errand. He'll be back soon. Until then though can you  _ please  _ just do as you're told Tommy?” Wilbur explained to the six year old child.  _

_ “I wan' dad.” Tommy slurred, fighting to keep his eyes open. Wilbur hesitated slightly. He held Tommy's gaze. _

_ “He'll be back soon, and when he is I'll get him to come see you, alright?” _

_ Tommy huffed. _

_ “He'd tell you to do the same thing.” _

_ “Can't he 'imself?”  _

_ “When he gets back I might get him to lecture you actually.” Wilbur frowned. _

_ “He's always with Techie.” Tommy grumbled. _

_ “He just has a lot to do right now. I promise I'll get him to come see you as soon as he's home, alright Toms?” _

_ “Alrigh'.”  _

* * *

Tommy woke once again, his headache becoming far too much to block out anymore as he stared across the room at the light of dusk. Huh, at least he'd gotten a couple of hours in. He felt slightly less tired for once, so he was glad about that more than anything. Though, that probably meant he'd have some trouble sleeping for the rest of the night. Great, there was always a downside.

“Hey, you awake?” Came Quackity's quiet whisper from the doorway, Tommy forced his head round to look as he saw the vice-president standing at the door to his room, holding a bowl of soup in his hands. So Schlatt hadn't been kidding before huh?

“Hmm.” Was all Tommy said in response. 

Quackity walked in, placing the soup on the cabinet beside his bed as he took a cautious step backwards and looked Tommy over quickly. “Wow, you really do look like shit.” He told him after a minute.

“Thanks.” Tommy snorted.

“Schlatt told me you were sick. I just didn't realize how sick.” Quackity said.

“Where is Schlatt?” He asked, wondering why the goat-man hadn't brought in the soup himself like he said he would. Not that Tommy cared. He was just curious.

“He said he was busy doing some sort of errand or something, he didn't really go into specifics.” Quackity replied with a shrug.

Tommy almost nodded but stopped himself before he could, he picked up the bowl next to him with shaky hands. He didn't feel as nauseous as before, sure he still felt sick but he could probably keep something as little as soup down. Besides, he was pretty hungry after not eating all day. He took a small spoonful and started slowly consuming it, not at all trusting his gut to eat as fast as he usually did.

“I'll be down the hall if you need me.” Quackity told him as he left Tommy in peace to eat.

Tommy was able to eat a couple of spoonfuls, he almost thought he might actually be allowed to keep it down until a stronger wave of sickness hit him and he knew the feeling when it came. He put the bowl aside, slapped his hand over his mouth and jumped out of his bed. Not at all wanting to throw up over all the nice blankets he'd stolen - he darted down the halls to where the closest bathroom was and violently threw up down the toilet. Okay, maybe the soup was a bad idea. 

He sat on the cold bathroom floor for a while before he finally trusted himself enough to get to his feet, washing his face and his hands in the sink. He breathed deeply, what the fuck was wrong with him? He ran his fingers through his hair as he usually did when he got so nervous, almost forgetting the pain as he remembered how sensitive his head was.

He stopped short, his fingers trailing over the bump once more. It was larger this time, more defined - panic overwhelmed him. And what was worse was the fact that there wasn't  _ one  _ bump, no, he'd missed something. There was another. The exact same as the first. Instead of pulling his hand away he leaned in closer to the mirror, gently pulling pieces of his hair apart to see. He didn't know what he was searching for, he just knew he was scared to find whatever it may be.

There was a flash of brown, small, barely noticeable but Tommy saw it. Confused he searched again, he had no brown parts in his hair, he was sure of that. He was a natural blonde. 

His breathing picked up as his fingers brushed against something hard, right where the small bump had been the previous night. Tommy's whole body went rigid as he stared in horror. Because there was no mistaking what he was seeing right now. No tricks, and he definitely wasn't asleep either. No, because if he was seeing things correctly, which he was, there were two small - but noticeable as he'd pulled his hair out if the way - brown bumps on his head that were very unmistakably growing out of his skull. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I've been updating daily for a few days now, but I may not update throughout the week because I've been putting a lot of work off so I need to catch up on that before I write anymore really ^^
> 
> Tommy growing horns? Pog.  
> Oop, guess the secrets out now ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> I got tired of trying to tease it slowly, and with the amount of dadschlatt in the previous chapters and people catching on it was pointless keeping it any longer.
> 
> Also yet more SBI lore? Yup, I'll never stop those because it's the only time in this fic Wilbur will seem like an actual good brother for once.
> 
> Thanks for reading!!!  
> I hope you enjoyed <3


	17. The Discovery [Part Two]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Quackity proves to be more help than ever when he assists Tommy in finding out just what the hell is going on with him.

Tommy was frozen in horror as his fingers trailed over the surface of the two brown bumps that had grown out of his head. His head was spinning as he tried to figure out just what the _fuck_ they were supposed to be. He knew tumours didn't grow like _this._ And this - this was beyond anything he'd ever heard of. What was happening to him? What was going on? _Why_ was this happening to him?

“Tommy are you okay—” Quackity rushed in, he stopped short when he saw Tommy. Confused, he looked up to where his hands touched the bumps that were definitely more noticeable without his hair in the way and his jaw dropped. Quackity looked just as confused and shocked Tommy felt.

Tommy's hands fell at his sides as he turned to face Quackity, breathing shakily. Quackity just stared, completely dumbfounded. Tommy's head was pounding at this point but he was too shocked to even notice at this point.

“What the— when did you get fucking _horns?_ ” Quackity finally spoke.

Horns? Is that what they were? Tommy felt them again, opening and closing his mouth to try and speak yet no words came out. _Horns._ What did that mean? What was he supposed to think about that now? Only hybrid's had animal features and from what Tommy knew he was one hundred percent human, nothing else. Phil was a hybrid, what was evident from the wings he had, he'd heard his mum was - but not the type to grow _horns._ He couldn't be a hybrid. Phil had told him the gene was dormant, like Wil - he was human, nothing more.

“I- I don't know what's happening.” Tommy choked out finally. 

He knew Fundy was a fox hybrid. From what Wilbur had told Tommy his mother - had been a fox hybrid too. How did hybrid's work? Was it purely genetic or was it something that just… _Occured_? Phil had never even taught him about hybrid's. He barely knew anything about them.

“They're… Horns…” Quackity stated dumbly.

“I can fucking see that!” Tommy snapped at him, his tone was harsh.

“But how?”

“I don't know…” Tommy's voice broke. He really didn't. He didn't understand. How? Why? If he somehow _was_ a hybrid, what kind of hybrid was he? But… He just _couldn't_ be a hybrid. It didn't make sense. He had to find out. Even though he was exhausted, felt sick - he wanted to pass out he _had_ to discover what the ever-loving _fuck_ was wrong with him.

“What do you know about hybrid's?” He asked quietly.

“Not much… No one really does. Even hybrid's themselves, I think. They're just rare, I know that.” Quackity replied, still looking confused.

“Is there a library or anything here? Anywhere we could find some old books?” 

“Uh yeah—” Quackity yelped as Tommy grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the room, “what are you doing?”

“I'm gonna try and find out what the fuck is happening, and I need your help.” Tommy told him, coming to a half as he turned to face him.

“It's like- night though?”

“Please.” Tommy pleaded. He didn't want to be more alone than he already felt. Especially at this moment.

Quackity regarded him for a moment before he sighed in defeat, “alright.” And beckoned Tommy to follow him. Tommy did so, his movements jerky. The two walked in silence for a bit, Tommy tried not to overthink too much, he could barely keep track of his thoughts as it was. And this had made it ten times as worse as before. He couldn't even focus, there was only sheer panic and fear and the desperation to know what was happening to him. They arrived in the library within a couple of minutes and Quackity ordered him to sit down when he noticed how shaky he'd become, and Tommy didn't argue. He sat down on one of the chairs and stared at his hands as a million thoughts swam through his head. More than anything he just wanted to know what was going on with him.

“So,” Quackity said as he searched among the many old books on the shelves, “when did this whole thing start? Y'know, the horns?”

“Well… I guess I started getting the headache around… Around the time I came to L'Manb— Manberg.” He replied.

“Right, and you only just discovered the- the horns just now?” Quackity asked.

“Y- yeah.”

The room fell silent once again as Tommy thought deeper into this. He hadn't exactly thought much of the ‘coincidence’ at the time but now that _horns_ had become the source of the problem instead of a tumour as he'd previously feared he didn't know whether to be even more terrified or relieved. At least he wasn't going to die after all - but that still didn't put him any less on edge. It was strange, how as soon as he'd come to Manberg that his cursed headaches had started. He'd never gotten them before then. What did it mean?

Unless… He really _was_ cursed. If that could happen. It just didn't make any sense that as soon as he arrived here he started growing horns in the first place. And what _did_ make sense was the fact the more he seemed to hang around Schlatt the worse it would become. What if Schlatt was the one behind this? What if Schlatt was _cursing_ him? But, that sounded stupid, right? Well Tommy wasn't sure if curses were real or not, but these horns were the downright proof he needed.

Schlatt _had_ to have cursed him or something.

“There's barely any books about hybrid's here.” Quackity spoke up once more, “I guess we should try and figure out what kind of hybrid you are first though.”

Tommy barely had any clue himself, it’s not like he could think straight anyway - he was still entirely taken aback by everything that had happened in the short time he’d been here. Schlatt being weirdly nice, constant headaches and now _horns?_ It was too much for him to even comprehend. Yet the one thing he _could_ understand was the fact that all of those things had started after he'd joined Manberg. It couldn't be _that_ much of a coincidence could it? 

He wished he could talk to Wilbur about it all. He wished he could talk to Wilbur anyway. Despite how he'd acted before Tommy had left he still missed his brother dearly. Even if he didn't miss him… But Wilbur had to miss him, right? They were family, and even though Wilbur didn't really show it he cared. 

Didn't he…?

“Hey, I think I found something!” Quackity announced, Tommy blinked - shaking off his thoughts so he could focus on Quackity again. He stood before him holding a large book brand in leather and covered in dust. Tommy looked in bewilderment, he'd never seen a book so big in his entire life.

“Fuck - this thing is missing a lot of pages.” Quackity said as he flicked through the pavers, many of which had either been torn out, burnt or had simply faded away due to time. Tommy wondered how old the book was, when had it even been written?

“Big Q…” Tommy murmured, “are they- are they noticeable?”

He figured when he was able to start sneaking off to Pogtopia Wilbur wouldn't exactly be thrilled with the fact Tommy now sported horns similar to a certain horned bastard who'd exiled him. Tommy shuddered, imagining what Wilbur might think. Would he disown him? Call him a disgrace, a disappointment? 

Quackity studied him for a moment before he concluded, “if your hair's flat enough I can just about see them…” he squinted, “if someone was close enough they'd notice something.” He added.

Great. Tommy's heart sank. Just great. 

“Tommy… Are you alright?” Quackity must've noticed his expression fall.

Tommy stared at his hands, he didn't know why he had these horns - he didn't know where they'd come from in the first place or how he had gotten them but he knew it _definitely_ wasn't a good thing. Whatever these horns were, Schlatt had a pair just like them. And Tommy wasn't completely sure whether or not the president could have cursed him, if curses were even real but it all tied in too well. Schlatt _had_ to be doing something to him. And Tommy wasn't going to let that happen any longer.

“Not really,” Tommy replied, “we just need to figure out why this happened.”

“Well this book isn't gonna be much help. Things practically falling apart and half of the pages are missing but… I'll see what I can find.” Quackity told him.

“Can you… Y'know- keep this between us?” Tommy croaked. The last thing he needed was Schlatt noticing. Then again, if Schlatt had played a part in this he'd already know.

“Yeah yeah of course.” Quackity promised him. He paused for a moment, as if in deep thought - then he gave Tommy a solemn look and reached up to pull his signature beanie off his head before handing it over to Tommy, the latter blinked in astonishment. He'd never really seen Quackity take this thing off, he didn't know why - they'd often joke that it was because the vice-president had some sort of bald spot on his head. But all Tommy could see here was a mop of unruly black hair that appeared like it hadn't been brushed in ages. Tommy glanced up at him, confused.

“They're gonna grow, and like you said, this is just between us. You'll need it more than I do.” Quackity gave him a small smile. Tommy's lips twitched upwards as he returned the smile.

“Thanks Big Q.” Tommy said as he took the beanie in his hand and looked at it momentarily before looking back up at Quackity who was sorting through a pile of books he'd found. 

“Right, now if Schlatt catches you out of bed he'll kill us both. So you go rest up and I'll continue this fucking manhunt for a book that'll actually help us figure out just what the fuck is going on with you.”

Tommy frowned slightly, “why does Schlatt care if I'm out or not?” He said bitterly.

He noticed Quackity flinch at his words, the latter hesitated silently before replying, “he- he doesn't want any bugs going round Manberg so he wants you to get better, y'know so no one else catches it.”

“I wasn't sick because of a bug I think I know it was because of… _This._ ” 

“Still, he doesn't know that. Now get your ass to bed.” Quackity snapped.

Tommy rolled his eyes despite the headache, “sure _mum_.” He scoffed. 

“Funny,” Quackity said with a playful snort, “Get. The fuck. To bed.”

Tommy laughed quietly before waving him goodbye and setting off towards his room again. He hoped Quackity could find an answer soon, otherwise he wouldn't be able to sleep with all this anxiety. The questions still ran through his head. Why was this happening? _How_ was this happening? What the _fuck_ was happening? There had to be a simple explanation. How was he a hybrid? Phil had assured him he was completely human, yet despite the hybrid genes in their family like Wilbur they remained dormant. And while he knew Phil had wings, the mother he'd never met had been like Techno - there were definitely no horned hybrid's in their family. What did that make him, goat, ram? If Schlatt really _had_ cursed him in someway then one of those seemed likely. 

Maybe he'd confront Schlatt about it. Demand just what the fuck he was doing to him. But he didn't have the strength too. And if Quackity was right and these horns would _continue_ to grow, that meant much to his dismay the migraine wasn't going away so soon. But hey, at least he wasn't going to die. He didn't know which was better. Growing _horns_ , or facing and accepting his death. 

He collapsed into his bed, the feeling of nausea gone but he still felt anxious. The beanie was gripped tightly in his hand as he pulled the covers over his body, unable to stop one of his hands from trailing across the horns on his head. His gut twisted as he once again thought about what Wilbur would think if he ever saw them. Good thing Quackity had given him the beanie. That would make his visits to Pogtopia more bearable if he could hide these new features. And Wilbur would never find out. 

His breath hitched when he imagined what _Tubbo_ might think. Would Wilbur taint his mind with lies - had he already done that by now? What if, by the amount of time he'd been gone Wilbur decided he didn't need him anymore and had twisted Tubbo's mind so that he lost it. Just like his own. Tommy shivered.

Maybe he'd make his visit to Pogtopia a little earlier than he'd planned.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Momity content for the soul  
> Quackity being a supportive friend, pog  
> Tommy making up his own theories as to why he has horns, I mean he's not far off - he has the right person just not the right reason dhkjashdfjkfhs
> 
> Anyways, I won't be writing a long note this time - I'm tired as heck and as I'm typing this I'm really supposed to be doing work sjdfkjsfdh  
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed!!!  
> Also thank you so much for 600+ kudos I'm,,,,,  
> Thank you <333


	18. The Discovery [Part Three]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt gets drunk as usual and Quackity discovers something he shouldn't have.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tfw when you can't think of titles for your chapters so you make it into three parts :)

Schlatt didn't _care_ for Tommy. No. He just did what any decent guy would do and expressed a little concern for him every now and then. Did he care if the kid lived or died? Well that was a difficult question. Yet if he so much thought about a scenario involving the kids death that strange protective feeling would only get stronger. And it did in times - even with something as little as Tommy's health declining ever so slightly. It felt somewhat natural to occur, like a sort of instinct. But Schlatt was sure it was because of his emotions being on the high lately due to his lack of heavy drinking. That had to be the reason right? He hadn't had many heavy drinking nights since Tommy arrived here.

Speaking of Tommy, the latter was sick. Schlatt could tell, he'd become so pale over the past couple of days Schlatt was surprised he hadn't noticed earlier. And so, not because he cared about the kid - but because he didn't want any sickness spreading throughout Manberg. The last time he'd spoken to Tommy was when he told him to get more rest, there was no way he was working at all today - not when he looked that bad. So Schlatt did what any decent guy would do and confined him to his bed and ordered that he'd get more rest. And he tried his best to ignore it when Quackity kept joking that he was acting like the kid's father, he was just being a good friend, not a father. 

He couldn't be a father—

And so he would spiral again, and try and take his mind off it using anything but alcohol to try and calm himself down. Yet no matter what he did the past always managed to come back to bite him in the ass. He was close to the kitchen when he'd forced himself to turn back and continue pacing along the corridors. He wondered if Tommy was okay, if he needed anything - maybe he should check on him? No, he'd stop himself mid thought each time. He wasn't the kids father, he sure as hell wasn't going to suddenly start caring for him like one either. He knew full well that the last time hadn't worked out. Why would it with some random kid?

When the evening came by Schlatt stayed in his room and told Quackity to take Tommy a bowl of soup to eat, Quackity did so and didn't return for a while. And Schlatt couldn't deal with his emotions clashing so he did what he swore _not_ to do and took a bottle of whiskey out the kitchen - or maybe a couple of bottles and crashed on his bed, sipping at each one until his anxieties melted away leaving him numb.

He was on his fourth, maybe his fifth bottle when Quackity came back into the room. He looked at Schlatt and at once rushed forward, snatching the bottle of whiskey out of his hand. Schlatt tried to stop him but he stumbled over drunkenly and fell face first onto the floor. He heard Quackity groan and lift him up, heaving him onto the bed in a sitting position.

“You drank _last_ night!” Quackity cried, “Schlatt you can't just binge drink whenever you feel like it!”

Lost in his drunken state Schlatt chuckled slowly, “can, cos' m' not a pussy.” He said with a smirk.

“One of these days it'll be too much.” Quackity warned.

Schlatt simply shrugged. Quackity tossed the half empty bottle of whiskey in the trash, the sound of shattering glass filled the air as Schlatt reached forward lazily as if he thought he could catch it and frowned. 

“You're no fun.” Schlatt grinned.

“No, because now I have to take care of your drunken ass again.” Quackity snapped back, Schlatt blinked in response.

“How's Tommy?”

“He was sick before, but he's okay now.” Quackity told him, his eyes focused on his hands. Schlatt tilted his head slightly and rolled it back onto his shoulders as he stared at the wall, lost in a daze. His emotions were still piled up, apparently the whiskey hadn't made him as numb as he'd thought. He thought about pushing it down, trying to let it go, maybe he could make it to the kitchen before Quackity could stop him. But he'd lost his filter already, and he felt like he was going to explode after keeping everything bottled up for so long.

“He's a nice kid, m' glad he's here. Good for Manberg. Good for us.” Schlatt said aloud without thinking. He wouldn't remember this tomorrow anyway.

“Yeah, he is.” 

“Dream's a bitch,” he said with narrowed eyes, “won't let him hurt Tommy. Fuckin' green bastard. Can't let him hurt.” He added, growing tired - he was practically on the edge of passing out. 

“Hmm.” Quackity hummed.

“Wilbur's a bitch too. Suppose' to be the kids' family. He doesn't care.” 

Quackity had fallen silent at this point. Choosing only to listen to Schlatt's drunken rambling than add any input. Schlatt didn't care, he was too far gone.

“We're like his family. Y'know…” Schlatt yawned, the drowsy feeling only grew but he didn't stop talking. “I had a family once.”

He barely registered Quackity freeze in the corner of his fading vision.

“M' had…” Schlatt's eyelids drooped as his words slurred together, “had...s...” His voice was barely above a whisper. He didn't hear Quackity shift beside him.

He opened his mouth to speak once more before exhaustion crushed him and he was left to darkness once more.

* * *

Quackity didn't know what to think when he'd walked in on Tommy staring horror-struck into the mirror, his fingers hovering about two small brown lumps that were just about sticking out from his head. He didn't know what to think when Tommy dragged him off to the library to search for some clue as to what was going on with him. And he didn't know what to think when Tommy looked at him, so frightened when he'd asked him to keep it between them. In the time Tommy had been here Quackity had never seen him show such vulnerability or fear before. And so he'd agreed to keep it between them.

He'd eyes the bumps, which were barely visible on his head but still noticeable from a close distance and he looked at Tommy with a sympathetic expression. Poor kid, he'd already been through so much and this was just another problem to add to the list. Quackity didn't know much about hybrid's, he didn't know how they worked - but he needed to help his friend. 

He'd given him his beanie. If it was any show those horns would keep on growing, and Tommy wanted to keep it a secret. He'd need it more than him anyway, he wouldn't be giving up much - so he took the beanie off his head and placed it in Tommy's hands and said with a warm smile, “They're gonna grow, and like you said, this is just between us. You'll need it more than I do.”

Tommy had returned the smile and gave him a grateful look. He'd told him to go back to his room so that he could find out more for him. Once had left Quackity flicked through the pages of some of the books he'd found. Most of which were completely useless and didn't suggest anything. There was rarely anything about hybrid's in here from what he could tell, nothing mentioning their origin or anything important at all.

But what got Quackity thinking the most was what Tommy had told him.

_‘Well… I guess I started getting the headache around… Around the time I came to L'Manb— Manberg.’_

Strange, how Tommy had been normal before he'd come here. And then all of a sudden he'd started getting frequent headaches that had changed into painful migraines. Quackity really wasn't sure just how hybrid's worked but Tommy was growing horns - and there was only one other person Quackity knew who had a pair of horns.

No, it was probably just a coincidence. He was clearly overthinking this too much. He could only imagine how Tommy felt. Poor kid, though he refused to show it Quackity knew he must be terrified at what was happening with him. 

After twenty minutes of searching and continuously coming up empty Quackity decided to turn in for the night, it was getting late - he wasn't too sure but he felt tired. He walked back to his shared room with Schlatt and yawned before his eyes widened at the sight he saw when he opened the door. 

Schlatt, mid drink - empty bottles of whiskey at his feet. Quackity's gaze hardened as he grabbed the bottle out of the Manbergian president's hand and glared at him. Schlatt had to stop him but instead stumbled over and fell face first onto the floor. Quackity groaned, couching down to lift him up and heaved him onto the bed in a sitting position.

“You drank _last_ night!” He cried, “Schlatt you can't just binge drink whenever you feel like it!”

Schlatt chuckled and went to go on with his drunken rambling. Quackity rarely listened to this, it wasn't like Schlatt talked about much interesting stuff when he was drunk. And he really didn't want to have to look after him tonight but the world was cruel and had stuck him with an alcoholic. So he pretended to listen, nodding along as he spoke. 

Schlatt went on about Dream, about how he hated Dream - and Quackity could relate. And moved onto how he didn't want Tommy hurt by Dream. Quackity knew this wasn't just drunken rambling - it was no secret Schlatt cared for the kid, he could tell. Though Schlatt had started out intending to manipulate and use Tommy a lot had changed when he'd finally come to Manberg. _Schlatt_ had changed. Unfortunately there was still one thing that was still the same that Quackity was forced to put up with on a regular basis.

Then he said something that caught Quackity's attention and suddenly he was listening more closely than he ever had before.

“We're like his family. Y'know…” Schlatt was saying. “I had a family once.”

Schlatt… Used to have a family? Strange, he'd never mentioned this before. Not even when he'd been even more wasted than this. And Quackity could tell that for some reason Schlatt was a lot more emotional than he had been during those other times he'd been drunk. Schlatt wasn't exactly an emotional drunk in general.

“M' had…” Schlatt whispered, “had...s...” His words all slurred together but Quackity just about understood them. He snapped his head to look at Schlatt who seemed like he was about to say more but instead fell quiet and after a couple of seconds his light snores filled the silence. Quackity was left with his thoughts.

His mind - despite his exhaustion - was piecing everything together in that moment. Tommy's headaches, his strange new hybrid features, Schlatt mentioning a family. It wasn't exactly hard to miss, but Quackity could barely believe it himself. It all added up too well for it to be a simple coincidence. 

And he still wasn't exactly sure how hybrid's worked, but he was pretty sure he'd just figured it out.

* * *

_The man stood in the middle of the house staring into the mirror as he held two brightly coloured ties to his chest, wondering which one would suit him better. One was a light blue colour and the other a vibrant red. He didn't know why he couldn't just make a choice, usually he didn't care so much about style. But after all, this was the date with the love of his life, he better dress to impress._

_“Oh come on are you gonna stand there forever?” Another man asked, frowning slightly._

_“Oh shut up, I'm trying to pick.”_

_“It's simple, red or blue! Come on I don't have all day!”_

_The first man just rolled his eyes and looked back to the mirror again, the two ties in hand as he furrowed his brow slightly. He turned his head back to look at the sound of stumbling footsteps behind him and smiled._

_“Dada!”_

_“Hey squirt,” he bent down to lift the small toddler into his arms and held him close to his chest, ruffling his messy brown hair he grinned slightly, “hey what do you think, red or blue?”_

_The toddler squinted, eyeing the two ties before looking back up at him and declaring, “bwue!”_

_“Blue huh?”_

_The second man raised an eyebrow at them, “I swear that kid's obsessed with the colour blue.”_

_The toddler clapped his hands, giggling as the man laughed and looked at the red tie again. “Hm, I think you're right. This does look nice.”_

_“Bwue, bwue, bwue!”_

_The other man leaning against the doorframe scoffed but a smile lit up his features, “adorable, now why don't you go meet your wife for that date?”_

_“Remind me again why I decided to trust you with my kids?”_

_“Easy, because I'm a responsible guy.”_

_“Doubtful.”_

_“Hey fuck you I reckon I'd make a great dad!”_

_The first man laughed again, “sure, you tell yourself that.”_

_The second man feigned hurt as he placed a hand over his heart, “ouch, you wound me you know that?”_

_“Whatever, just - please don't burn my house down.”_

_“Can't make any promises.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> lil bit of quackity's pov there i hope y'all dont mind a switch from the usual schlatt n tommy povs but i needed him to use his one braincell and be the first one to figure out the truth dhfaklsdhfja  
> next up, tommy tries to sneak away to pogtopia, thats gonna be interesting - i wonder how wilbur is  
> also another flashback pog   
> thank you for reading and i hope you enjoyed!!! <333


	19. The Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy manages to sneak out to Pogtopia.

If he wanted to sneak out to Pogtopia he was definitely going to need a plan in order to successfully sneak away without anyone noticing. He figured night was the best time to do that, there'd be no one around Manberg and Schlatt and Quackity would be asleep. It was foolproof - he'd sneak out the window once Schlatt and Quackity believed he was asleep and make his way to Pogtopia. Even in the dark he knew the way, there was also taking the secret tunnels under Manberg but that was too risky. However it would be a lot faster… 

He stayed awake for most of the night thinking of a plan, it was easy, right? If Schlatt seemed to  _ care  _ as much as he did he'd let Tommy rest another day if he looked sick enough. He was still pale, most likely from all the worry - and he felt sick enough too. And if Schlatt believed that he'd leave Tommy alone and sure enough as soon as night fell he'd be able to sneak away no problem.

He fell asleep around dawn. He couldn't exactly tell but if he was going to start only visiting Pogtopia at night when he could then his sleep schedule was going to wind up a little messed up. Though he didn't care, as long as he got to see Tubbo again. Wilbur and Technoblade too but part of him doubted that they'd be as thrilled to see him. Wilbur would simply demand intel and Techno would either be training, farming potatoes or talking about how much he hated the government - there was never anything else. And Tubbo? Tommy just hoped he was okay.

He'd considered telling Tubbo about his…  _ Horns  _ but had eventually decided against it. He didn't know what Tubbo would think. Would he think that he was a monster? Would he think that Schlatt had clearly done something to cause this? It couldn't just happen on its own like that. And the only other person Tommy knew who had horns was the president. Schlatt had done something to him and he didn't know what.

He woke around noon to Schlatt knocking gently on his door, Tommy's hand snapped up to feel his head and sure enough the two tiny horns were just about poking through his matted blonde hair, he quickly fumbled with the beanie which he'd left on the pillow beside him and lay in a more casual way as the president walked in, his eyes immediately fell on Tommy and Tommy could tell he'd been drinking again.

“Hey kid, how're you feeling today?” 

It took Tommy a while to find his voice, “the same, more or less.” It wasn't even a lie - or perhaps it was, in some way he was feeling slightly worse now that he knew the true cause of his constant headaches but better too now that he knew it wasn't life threatening at all. 

“Did uh - did Quackity give you his hat?” Schlatt said, clearly confused. Huh, surely if Schlatt had been the cause of this then he'd know exactly why he was hiding his head. Or maybe he was just playing dumb.

“I was… Cold… So he gave it to me.” Tommy lied smoothly, “he also said I could keep it because y'know Quackity and germs, he's paranoid.”

Schlatt laughed lightly, “yeah he's weird like that,” the president shook his head, “was he with you last night?” He asked, still looking slightly confused, his eyes seemed dazed. Probably something to do with a hangover, Tommy wasn't sure how hangovers worked and he really didn't want to know either.

“Yeah I was sick, he found me and helped me back to bed.” 

“You were  _ sick? _ ” Why did he look so worried? 

“I don't think I was ready to eat anything then.” Tommy shrugged.

“Could you eat now?” Schlatt asked him tentatively.

It was annoying how Schlatt's actions reminded him of how Phil had used to act sometimes, especially to Techno and Wilbur when they were sick. Tommy had rarely ever gotten sick as a child so he'd never gotten the same treatment but he'd seen Wilbur catch a fever enough times to know how Phil would fly into ‘overprotective-dad’ mode everytime. Sometimes he'd look as if he'd take an arrow for his sons. He could see the same thing in Schlatt's eyes now. 

Why was Schlatt even acting this way? Why did he even care so much? As far as he was concerned Tommy was just a random kid he'd let into Manberg for his own reasons. It bothered Tommy that Schlatt sometimes seemed to look at him,  _ treat  _ him as if he were his son or something. He remembered that look from Phil. It was just so weird he couldn't even grasp it, especially not with his head pounding like this.

“I don't know yet.” Tommy replied after giving it some thought, he was hungry, but he'd also been hungry last night and he'd thrown up after thinking he was safe. He still wasn't sure whether or not that was tied to his strange new features growing in.

“I'll bring something in a few hours.” Schlatt turned to leave before Tommy called out to stop him.

“Wait - wasn't there a meeting you said I had to come to today?”

Schlatt gave him another look, “Toms you don't seem in the best condition to sit in on meetings right now, I admire your dedication but I need you getting better, not worse.” He replied.

“But—”

“No buts, I'll fill you in on everything later. For now you just need to focus on not throwing up all over your bed.” Schlatt said with a small smile before leaving the room, once again leaving Tommy alone. He adjusted the beanie on his head, he didn’t usually wear hats much so he’d probably take a while to get used to the feeling of the beanie around his ears. Though he knew he wouldn’t be able to keep it a secret forever, if the horns grew so big that the beanie couldn’t hide them anymore he’d have to eventually come clean. As much as he didn’t want to.

He wondered how Quackity had gotten on with the research - hopefully he’d found at least something that explained it. He didn’t want to be left clueless. Though he had a pretty good theory himself - but he had to admit it didn’t seem exactly likely. Either Schlatt was good at hiding the fact that he knew there was something up with Tommy or he didn’t know at all. Tommy didn’t know what to believe, really - he just wanted night to come faster so he could go see how Tubbo was coping in Pogtopia. How Wilbur was coping. He knew Techno was coping just fine - it  _ was  _ Techno after all.

So he waited until it got darker outside, Tommy wasn’t exactly the most patient person so he attempted to distract himself while he did. There wasn’t exactly much to do - he tried to read a few books again, yet he still wound up incredibly bored. He was a teenager after all, really all he wished he could do was go outside and just… Be a kid for once. He couldn’t remember the last time he hadn’t been fighting in a war - the last time he’d had fun.

Eventually he noticed when the sun started to set in the sky and anxiety churned like acid in his stomach, as promised Schlatt came by with a small bowl of soup and a single piece of bread and watched as Tommy took a tiny spoonful - when it didn’t cause his stomach to flip Schlatt seemed satisfied and told him to eat as much as he could. Admittedly, Tommy was feeling much better than he had yesterday and he was glad he was able to keep things down again without feeling like he was going to throw up. And Schlatt seemed glad too, for some reason..

“Get some more rest kid, I’ll check on you in the morning.”

He waited a while after Schlatt had left his room, until all the lights in the house had gone out and once they did he got up from his bed - made a shape in the bed that made it look as if he were still sleeping there and opened his window - he was lucky to be on the ground floor. He steadily climbed down from the window and made his way across Manberg. It was completely dark now which set Tommy on edge as he snuck over the prime path until he came out near the woods at the edge of Manberg. 

Luckily he remembered the way to Pogtopia from Manberg, it wasn't hard to miss the giant pit in front of the entrance to the cave. There was nobody around outside, Tommy figured they were all inside - it was cold out after all. He was glad he'd brought a jacket to keep him warm. It was one of the things Schlatt had given him when he'd first arrived in Manberg, strangely nice of him but it certainly did a good job at keeping him warm.

He halted near the entrance, why was he so nervous? It was only his best friend and his two estranged brothers - it had only been three weeks. He took a deep breath and stepped through and slowly walked down the cobble stairs Tubbo had made to make walking to and from outside easier. He adjusted his beanie, making sure that it was completely covering his head, the last thing he needed right now was Wilbur discovering his horns.

“Hello?” His voice echoed through the dimly lit cavern. Almost as soon as he had spoken he saw a small head pop out from round the corner and the next thing he knew Tubbo was crashing into him. Tommy could see the relief in the other boy's eyes as he embraced Tommy in a tight hug. Tommy gladly returned it.

“Tommy! You're here! How are you? How has everything been? How's L'Manberg? How's Schlatt treating you?” Tubbo asked, Tommy found it hard to keep up with all the questions but he couldn't even bring himself to feel annoyed. He'd missed his best friend too much to be mad at him now.

“It's been… Okay,” he said once Tubbo had allowed him a chance to speak, “I'll explain it all soon—”

“Tubbo? What's all this noise?” Came a tired voice from behind them, Tommy whipped his head round to face Wilbur. Wilbur who looked more or less the same, sleep deprived though Tommy wasn't surprised - pale and sickly, Tommy guessed he wasn't at all thriving. But his eyes lit up lightly when he saw Tommy for the first time, though it was quickly gone. Tommy wasn't surprised with how tired he looked right now.

“Hey Wilbur.” Tommy said with a small smile.

Wilbur gave him a confused look, “Tommy? Wh- what are you doing back so soon?” 

Tommy fought off a frown, no ‘welcome back!’ or ‘glad to see you're not dead?’ 

“I just wanted to come see you guys again.” Tommy replied, keeping his voice steady. 

“So you admit you missed us?” Tubbo grinned.

Tommy rolled his eyes, “shut up Tubbo.” He said jokingly, nudging the other boy's shoulder. Tubbo grinned at him widely.

“Is that… Quackity's beanie?”

“Oh, yeah. I got sick yesterday and cold so he gave it to me and I forgot to give it back.” Tommy told him. Wilbur nodded slowly.

“And Schlatt? L'Manberg?”

He didn't even ask if he was okay? Tommy's heart sank - was his own brother  _ really  _ that heartless? Did he really not care at all? Did he only care about the nation he gained from all this? No, Wilbur was family. He had to care in some way - he just had a bad way of showing it that was all.

“Okay I guess. The first few days I didn't really do much, I was allowed to settle in. There was a meeting, but there wasn't really anything important about that, only that Quackity wants to build some sort of restaurant. I got sick a few days ago and since then I've been allowed to rest.” Tommy reported, knowing even the slightest detail was vital to Wilbur.

“And Schlatt? Anything about him?”

Should he tell them about how Schlatt had been acting? How he seemed like he cared? Or how his constant drinking was weakening him more and more everyday… 

“Schlatt tends to keep to himself really.”

Wilbur looked at him for a couple of seconds before nodding again, seemingly satisfied. “It's… Good to see you again Tommy.” He finally said. Tommy smiled a little at this.

“Hey Wilbur, can I go show Tommy some of the new things?” Tubbo chirped after a few moments of silence, Wilbur looked from him to Tommy and once again nodded. 

“I think I'm gonna turn in early anyway,” Wilbur said through a yawn, he then looked back at Tommy again, “how long will you be staying?”

“I don't think I can stay long - a few hours maybe, Schlatt and Quackity think I'm still sick and they might come to check on me.” Tommy replied. Wilbur was probably looking to go and sleep before he passed out right there, which Tommy understood but… He could at least show he  _ cared  _ for his brother for once, couldn't he?

Wilbur excused himself, not before asking Tommy when he'd next visit - Tommy promised maybe it a week or so. He wasn't really supposed to be out anyway, Schlatt hadn't said he even trusted Tommy yet or that he was done keeping a close eye on him. The strange acts of kindness and caring he showed towards him could just be him just keeping an eye on him. There was no way Schlatt would be so nice without a reason.

Tubbo beckoned Tommy to follow him through the familiar tunnels of Pogtopia, Tommy did so quietly - listening without a word as Tubbo showed him new things he'd built and more ideas he'd come up with to make it a little more ‘homey’. 

“So how's everything been here?” Tommy asked once he was sure Wilbur wasn't listening in and was definitely asleep.

Tubbo hesitated a bit, “well… Y'know, kinda lonely since you've left. And Wilbur spends most of his time either alone or with Technoblade. I'm really just left to wander.” He laughed nervously.

Tommy knew how he felt. Though he had to admit Schlatt and Quackity's company was better than nothing. Almost - fun actually the more he thought about it. But he still missed Tubbo a lot.

“And Wilbur?” He whispered.

“He really has missed you - he's been rather on edge since you left.”

”On edge?”

“I can hear him muttering to Technoblade sometimes. He's afraid now that you're in Manberg you'll betray us or something. Techno tells him it's a crazy idea but he's paranoid…” Tubbo told him, his voice dropping to a whisper too.

Wilbur was afraid he'd betray them for Schlatt? Tommy couldn't even believe what he was hearing. Did his loyalty mean absolutely nothing to Wilbur? Was blood not enough? He'd never have taken Schlatt's offer unless he'd had the idea to spy for them in the first place. 

Would he…?

Tommy shook his head, “that's Wilbur for you,” he muttered under his breath, “but other than that it's fine right? You're okay?”

“Yeah I keep myself occupied. Still weird without you being here though,” Tubbo sighed and then added, “what about you? Are you okay?”

“As good as I can be I guess. I was sick yesterday but I'm okay now.” Tommy replied.

“I meant everything Tommy. I'm not just digging for information. How've you been?”

Tommy looked up at Tubbo gratefully, “weird honestly, I've been hanging around with Big Q a lot - Schlatt's sometimes there. He's been weirdly nice, he gave me a bunch of new clothes when I first got there,” he explained, he once again debated telling Tubbo about his horns when he was reminded by a throbbing ache in his skull but once again decided not to, “it's all just weirdly new, but y'know once Schlatt lets me in on the important stuff I'll be able to help a lot more.”

Tubbo just nodded and continued to flick stones with his hand.

“You won't… Will you?” Tubbo asked quietly after it was silent for a few minutes.

Tommy glanced at his best friend, “won't what?”

“Leave us…”

Surprised flared in Tommy's eyes, “never! I don't know what bullshit Wilbur's been telling you. I've only been there three weeks and he already assumes I'm on their side?”

“Guess it's getting to me huh,” Tubbo laughed nervously, “forget it, it was stupid.”

“Yeah.” Tommy said bitterly.

“I don't think you'll betray us Tommy.”

“You're probably the only one.”

“Its really good to see you, y'know?”

“You too.” Tommy smiled again, Tubbo smiled back. For a moment it felt as if the two were back on their bench listening to the disks again. He could almost hear mellohi playing faintly in his eyes as he imagined the sunset right before their eyes. One day, one day he'd get the disks back and they'd be able to do that again.

They talked for a bit into the night until Tommy started to become paranoid of the time and they continued to talk as they walked about if Pogtopia together, Tubbo insisted that he come with him at least into the woods near Manberg and Tommy let him. He really didn't want to leave Tubbo alone again but he had to. Besides, if everything went smoothly he wouldn't be for long hopefully. When they reached the edge of the trees Tommy went to say a casual goodbye when Tubbo hugged him again and the two finally parted ways.

It was still dark, the faint light of dawn alerted him of the fact that it must be very early morning by now and he snuck back through the nation towards his window that was open slightly and climbed back through. He swept his gaze across his room, his covers hadn't been moved and the door hadn't been opened which suggested no one had been in here. He sighed with relief as he closed the window quietly behind him and hopped into his bed, pulling the covers over him.

He'd done it. He'd made his first visit to Pogtopia a success. If he could do it now he could sure as hell do it again. He smiled to himself, though it had been brief he'd been glad to catch up with everyone. Everyone minus Technoblade that is. But still, he was happy just the same.

He yawned, only now realising just how tired he really felt and closed his eyes, waiting for sleep to come.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Huh, long chapter 😳  
> 3.1k words - the longest chapter ever written. I usually aim for about 2k words per chapter but this was the Pogtopia visit and I may have went a little overboard skshskshs  
> But damn, at least Tommy got to see his best pal again :)  
> Wilbur's a lousy brother, I stand by that.  
> Also Techno's just vibin bro.  
> Poor Tubbo :(   
> There's no way bee boy is gonna come out of this without issues-
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!!  
> Also,,, thank you for 700+ kudos - holy shit, it really means a lot that so many people enjoyed this and it really helps motivate me to write more chapters so thank you so much <333


	20. The Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt finds its really not so bad with Tommy and Quackity - meanwhile Tubbo struggles without Tommy.

Schlatt woke rather early the following morning, a wave of exhaustion washed over him as he pushed himself into a sitting position, though he was used to that by now. He yawned, blinking rapidly in order for his eyes to adjust quicker. He stared at the wall for a moment before forcing himself to his feet, huh - he must've fallen asleep in his suit again. He did that a lot lately. He wasn't feeling up to a busy day today, he'd probably scrap their plans and call it a day off. He didn't feel like watching over a country today.

He looked around for something else to wear, he'd been in this suit so long he couldn't bear to be in it any longer. Once he found something that he liked, a blue sweater and a pair of comfy black sweatpants he quickly changed into them and made his way out the room. He didn't realize he was heading towards Tommy's door when he got there - he still didn't get why he felt so attached to the kid, like he needed to protect him from some unseen danger but he was far past questioning it. It just had to do something with the fact that he was drinking less and less everyday. That had to be the reason. 

He pushed open the door, surprised when he saw Tommy's bed empty but neatly made. He looked around for any sign of him but came up empty, huh, he wondered where the kid went to. He shrugged, closing the door and walking back to the living room, if he was having a day off he might as well relax while he had the time. Then again, he was the president, he could take days off whenever he felt like it. Schlatt snorted, if that were the case he'd be doing nothing all day everyday, and this country wasn't going to run itself.

He made his way into the living room only to freeze by the door when he saw Quackity sprawled out on the floor and Tommy cackling, say cross-legged on the couch with a blanket around him, Quackity's beanie fit around his head. He looked at where Quackity lay on the floor, his face was scrunched up in both pain and annoyance - Schlatt stifled a laugh. Speaking of Quackity the latter had been strangely, he'd often give Schlatt a look he couldn't read but other than that he had acted pretty much normal. Still Quackity, he just didn't know what that look meant. It had started a couple of nights ago, Schlatt must've done something stupid when he was drunk again and Quackity was avoiding him for it. Schlatt couldn't blame him for that either.

“Hey it's not funny!” Quackity snapped as he pushed himself forward, wincing slightly and Tommy's laughter died down a little.

“I'd argue that it's pretty funny.” Schlatt remarked, grinning widely.

Quackity snapped his head up to look at him and frowned, briefly giving him that odd look before it vanished and his expression morphed into a frown, “only you two would.” He muttered. 

“You're such a fucking clutz Big Q.” Tommy said, rolling his eyes as Quackity stumbled over a chair before he sat into it, looking slightly embarrassed.

“Hey, no swearing in this house Toms,” Schlatt said with a playful edge to his tone, as he went to sit on the empty seat next to the kid, “holy shit where are your fucking manners?” He added, still grinning.

A smile broke through Tommy's features as his eyes narrowed, “oh forgive me, I didn't realize I was in the presence of the mighty shitlord, BadBoyHalo.” He said with a mock bow.

“ _ Language _ !” Quackity yelled.

Schlatt and Tommy both laughed. Schlatt smiled, a genuine smile. It was strange. But it almost felt  _ complete  _ when Quackity and Tommy were here. Though that probably had something to do with the lack of whiskey he consumed each day. But honestly it felt…  _ Nice.  _ It was almost like he had a… Schlatt shook the thought out of his head, he was letting himself get too attached to everything again.

“Oh rockin' the blue sweater huh? I swear I never see you  _ not  _ wearing that suit.” Quackity said. Schlatt rolled his eyes.

“Yeah well everyone's been working hard lately and I'm tired as shit so I called a day off.”

“You can do that?” Tommy asked.

“Kid, I'm the president.”

“Do  _ we  _ get a day off too?” Quackity asked hopefully.

“Hmm I don't know…” Schlatt pretended to think about it.

“Kind of a shitty move if you make us work while you relax the whole day, Schlatt.” Tommy said, folding his arms across his chest as he glared at the president, a playful glint in his eyes.

“Jesus I'm not a monster, day off for everyone. Besides, still giving you a breather kid. You must be feeling better if you're out of bed?” 

“Pretty much, fucking tired but I'm not gonna do much round here if I'm sleeping half the time. Might as well call me ‘Gogy’ if I did.” Tommy replied. 

Schlatt chuckled. He remembered how when Quackity had first run in the election for presidency of Manberg - then called  _ L'Manberg  _ \- his running mate George hadn't shown up, leaving Quackity looking like a complete joke. Schlatt himself had laughed too, but he had to admit, it was a shitty move abandoning your running mate like that. George had shown up briefly when the results of the election had been revealed but since then Schlatt hadn't seen him much around Manberg at all. He guessed he was with Dream at first but then the latter had revealed that their group - which had consisted of Dream himself, George and Sapnap - had disbanded for unknown reasons. Schlatt didn't really care though.

“Well if you can curse in every sentence again you're definitely on the mend.”

Tommy laughed quietly, “yeah, once I'm feeling fully better the first thing I'm gonna do is find Bad.” 

“Oh fuck yeah count me in there!” Quackity put in from his spot on the armchair. 

Schlatt watched them banter back and forth, adding his own little jokes in when he wanted to. It was like that for a while, peaceful except when Tommy raised his voice a little too loud but Schlatt didn't mind. This was probably the most fun he'd had in a while. Probably the first time he'd felt somewhat whole too. Quackity excused himself, saying he was hungry and was going to raid the kitchen, so Schlatt stayed with Tommy in the living room. When Tommy had announced that he was going to stretch for a bit Schlatt nodded absentmindedly, engrossed in his book. He heard Tommy shift from his seat and get to his feet.

Briefly Schlatt looked up only to witness Tommy's knees buckle beneath him - the protective feeling flared in Schlatt's chest as he lurched to his feet and caught the kid just in time, he waited until Tommy was steady, staying by the kids side with his hand on his shoulder for support.

“Holy shit what was that?”

“Just… Got a little lightheaded.” Tommy responded breathlessly. Schlatt gave him a concerned look.

“Forget stretching, sit down kid,” Schlatt ordered, “you could've broken your neck or something!”

Tommy glanced at him, confused, “its just a dizzy spell,” he said like nothing had happened, “I don't see why it's such a big deal.” 

Schlatt scoffed, “you don't see the deal in falling and possibly breaking a couple of bones?”

Tommy just shrugged.

Did Wilbur not teach this kid these things?

“You might wanna think about going to lie down for a bit Toms.” Schlatt told him.

“I’m fine.”

When Quackity came back through the door holding a tin in his hand Schlatt told him to keep an eye on Tommy while he went to fetch the latter a glass of water, the vice-president gave him another off look this time filled with understanding as he took a seat opposite Tommy. Schlatt made his way to the kitchen, quickly filling a small glass and bringing it back to Tommy.

Tommy took it without any hesitation and took a few sips before he looked at both Schlatt and Quackity who were looking at him, Schlatt could see Quackity was worried too. “I'm fine seriously,” Tommy told them, drinking some more water.

“Schlatt's right, you should go lie down in your room or something.” Quackity told him.

“It's boring though.” Tommy complained.

“So you admit you like our company?” Quackity grinned.

“Did I say that? I don't think I did.” Tommy retorted with a smirk.

“If you faint or anything you're going to your room though, I don't care if you miss our company as awesome as it is.”,

“Jesus fucking Christ - alright mum.” Tommy said, rolling his eyes.

Schlatt looked at them both, a puzzled expression on his face, “am I missing something here?” He asked.

Tommy laughed while Quackity just glared at Tommy accusingly. He went to answer Schlatt's question but Tommy beat him to him. “Quackity's just annoying me and telling me what to do so I called him mum as a joke the other day,” he explained, “and he keeps doing it so I'll keep calling him that.”

“Yeah Quackity is a whining ass isn't he?” Schlatt said jokingly, Tommy nodded in agreement, Quackity glared.

“Why am I the whining ass mom?” Quackity demanded.

“Isn't it obvious?”

“So I'm the  _ whining ass mom,  _ Tommy's the annoying ass child, does that make you the _whining ass dad_?” Quackity challenged. 

Schlatt tried not to let his statement get to him, he didn't want them to notice. So he just shrugged, “I don't know, does it?” He forced out between his teeth. Tommy snorted - Quackity looked away and rolled his eyes, Schlatt wondered why for a moment before he shook it off and relaxed into the chair, sighing deeply.

It was quiet for a few seconds before Tommy suddenly snapped his head up to look at Quackity and glared at the vice-president, “hey, I'm not annoying!”

The two started squabbling again and Schlatt smiled to himself. This was nice, he could enjoy this. This - this almost felt like a family. Almost. His smile faded once more as the sound of Quackity and Tommy's laughter fell deaf to his ears, the only sound he heard in his mind was that of an infant's cries.

* * *

Tubbo had been thrilled when Tommy had finally come to visit, he'd been more excited than he had been in ages - he'd missed his best friend so much. Pogtopia had been much more lonely since Tommy had left, and it had only gotten worse. Tubbo mainly walked around the cave, often going through the forest looking for flowers to decorate the caves with. Something he thought Wilbur may appreciate. He'd been oddly silent since Tommy left, usually lingering around Technoblade leaving Tubbo to do his own thing. Which he would've been fine with.

If Tommy were still here… 

He couldn't get Wilbur's murmurs out of his ears when he'd overheard him talking with Technoblade a few nights ago.

_ ‘Techno, what if he starts to like it there? What if Schlatt convinces him to join his side? Techno - what if he  _ betrays  _ us?’ _

Tubbo had tried his best to shut out the whispers but it had been no use. Thanks to Wilbur's paranoia he'd been worried that Tommy might betray them. Even when he'd visited, Tubbo could tell Tommy looked a lot better than he had when he was in Pogtopia. Wearing fresh new clothes that  _ Schlatt  _ had given him out of the kindness of his own heart. Kindness? Schlatt? The only memories Tubbo had of the man were those of him staring them down as he exiled them from the nation they'd built with a manic glint in his eyes, his tone full of malice. And how could  _ that _ possibly change?

_ ‘Schlatt's sometimes there. He's been weirdly nice, he gave me a bunch of new clothes when I first got there...’  _

Tommy's words rang in his ears, Tubbo tried not to read too deep into them but he could tell that his friend was somewhat… Happy about this. That he was glad to be treated nicely since Wilbur has failed to do just that lately. Tubbo didn't want to believe Wilbur's paranoia but it was hard when Tommy was conversing with the enemy.

But he had to remember just how stupid loyal Tommy was. And Tommy would never betray them unless it benefited him.or Pogtopia, and Tommy had no ties to Manberg itself. He had no family there - his family was within Pogtopia. That's why he would never betray them. And this is what Tubbo told himself anytime he so much as doubted it.

But now that Tubbo thought of Wilbur the more he became wary of the president's emotional state. Though he seemed much quieter and calmer since Tommy had left Tubbo still couldn't help but worry. Exile was taking a toll on Wilbur's mental health a lot more than he knew. He just hoped he was okay… 

Wilbur would talk about peaceful ways to get their nation back, but Tubbo could see the bloodlust in his eyes anytime he spoke about Schlatt. He could see how his fingers itched towards his sword at the mere mention of this nemesis' name. So Tubbo would avoid the topic of Schlatt all together, but that proved difficult when at the moment Tommy was tied with Manberg, with Schlatt. And anytime Tubbo brought up Tommy's situation in Manberg Wilbur would briefly acknowledge it and change the topic of their discussion. 

Tubbo knew why. He didn't like thinking about it. Because no matter what he thought his brain would spiral into a paranoia and a tangle of thoughts of the slightest possibility of Tommy ever betraying them. As much as Tubbo knew that was very unlikely he still couldn't help but think about it too. Wilbur's paranoia was getting to him and he hated it. 

Luckily, he had ways to distract himself. Such as thinking about making new renovations to Pogtopia, cleaning it up a bit and making it more bearable to look at. When Technoblade was gathering food Tubbo would tend to the potato farm, digging up the potatoes and planting new ones. If he worked hard he could take his mind off any anxiety and thoughts that would keep him awake at night.

It was night when he struggled to sleep. Usually he'd share the same hollow part of the cave with Tommy, but he was alone. With nothing but a few torn blankets on the cold stone floor where Tommy had used to sleep. Tubbo hadn't even bothered moving them. The cave sounds, hissing spiders and the shifting of skeletons below unnerved him so much that sometimes he just couldn't sleep at all and he'd lie awake all night. Sometimes he cried, a lot of times he cried… But he didn't let anyone hear him. 

When he cried Tommy was usually the one to provide some form of comfort, even though it wasn't the best it still helped a lot knowing he was there. But Wilbur was dealing with his own problems and Technoblade - well Technoblade wasn't one for showing comfort or emotions in general. So he was left to deal with it by himself.

He wouldn't be surprised if Tommy did ever wind up choosing Manberg instead… 

He shook the thought out of his head, curling up into a tiny ball and drew his knees up to his chest as he squeezed his eyes shut tightly. Blocking out the sounds of mobs that filled his ears. The fire that lit up the torch burned brightly and lit up his small part of the cave - he was scared of sleeping in the pitch black now - and he drew in a deep, shaky breath as he watched the fire dance around.

No matter what he had to remain strong. He was vice-president after all. He couldn't be this weak… He had to be strong for Tommy, for Wilbur, for everyone. 

But he wasn't strong. Not without Tommy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wholesome cabinet family content for the soul  
> with a side of schlatt angst  
> at this point everyone knows yes and i just want to write the realization already but there's a reason schlatt can't piece it together  
> its pretty easy to guess but this man's doing some serious repression
> 
> i'm very hyped for the next few chapters  
> the plan is so far there will be a few chapters of tommy having small visits to pogtopia, passing more information on  
> wilbur going mad and how it affects tubbo  
> schlatt making a heartbreaking discovery  
> and a lovely little fesitival :D
> 
> thanks for reading, i hope you enjoyed!!! <333


	21. The Regret

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy takes a small walk around Manberg and confronts a certain king.

The next couple of days were a breeze for Tommy. It had been about a week since its first visit to Pogtopia and in that time he'd visited twice more. Tubbo was thrilled and wouldn't leave Tommy alone whenever he dropped by, he'd often use the secret tunnels located underneath Manberg to navigate around at night - which was his chosen time to go. 

He'd wait until he was certain Schlatt and Quackity were sound asleep and sneak about his window and make his way to Pogtopia. The three times he had been there Technoblade had been absent, either gathering food or too busy to talk. Tommy wasn't at all bothered though, as long as he got to see his best friend. 

Wilbur was there too of course. Since Tommy had last visited he'd had some more interesting information. Schlatt had officially put Tommy in charge of Manberg's records, meaning he now had access to most of their books filled with all sorts. It wasn't much but anything Schlatt changed in Manberg, any idea - Tommy was to write down in those books and keep them safe and clean. He'd found a couple of old books too while he was cleaning out the old library. L'Manberg's first book of independence - which Wilbur had accidentally spelt wrong as ‘ _independance_ ’ and hadn't bothered to fix his mistake.

And on the days that he was free Tommy would look deeper into the history of hybrid's, not that there was much to start with. There were barely any books that told him anything about his horns. Speaking of his horns, they'd grown an inch or two since he'd first discovered them. And despite that not being much it now meant that he had to wear the beanie full time. Another bad thing was that his new hybrid features didn't just stop at horns.

Around the edges of his ears he could feel soft tufts of white fur growing - he'd been horrified when Schlatt had commented on it, telling him he had some fluff inside his ears. But he couldn't be that lucky for it to have just been fluff. No, he'd tug at those small tufts but they didn't move. And it had hurt a lot. He'd been about to cut the fur off when he'd found out the hard way that the fur wasn't just growing on his ears - no, it had started to change the complete shape of his ears.  _ Becoming  _ his ears.

He'd told Quackity about this immediately and the latter had given him an odd look but assured him he'd try and look into it further. But it seemed even Quackity, who had been working so hard to try and help Tommy discover the true meaning behind this had come out with nothing so far. It was definitely no coincidence - Schlatt had horns, and two brown furry goat ears, he  _ had  _ to have done something to him for this to happen. Tommy just didn't know what.

Tommy was slightly more relaxed about it though, this unnerved him slightly. But if he started growing a tail - that was it. He was done. 

So Tommy was confined to wear the beanie to hide these new features, he'd long gotten used to the way it made his head itch like crazy but at least when he was alone in his room he could take it off. And he really had to give it to Schlatt - the man had kept his word, for the past few days he'd let Tommy have more freedom. Whether that meant he trusted Tommy fully or more than he did, Tommy didn't care. He was just glad to finally get out more.

He'd talked with Niki again, briefly - she'd told him how Schlatt had been acting strangely nice as of late, and he'd even taken her taxes down. Tommy had been confused a little bit. He'd remembered having a rather heated conversation with Quackity when he'd found out that Schlatt had unfairly raised Niki's taxes and suddenly the next day Niki was telling him Schlatt had  _ lowered  _ her taxes?

Was Schlatt really changing for the better?

Tommy didn't know, he was rather conflicted. While he saw first hand just how much Schlatt had  _ seemed  _ to change over the course of a month there was still Wilbur who hated Schlatt's guts. And when Tommy had gone over to visit the few times he'd been muttering to Tommy when Tubbo wasn't there and they were alone - he'd been telling him that Schlatt was dangerous, he wasn't his friend, Schlatt was  _ wrong.  _ And just when Tommy was really wondering if Schlatt was being genuinely kind Wilbur would throw him off course and make him doubt it all over again.

Because Wilbur was right, wasn't he? Schlatt had only invited him because it gave him an advantage. Tommy knew this, he wasn't stupid. And though he did seem like he'd really changed since then, Tommy knew he couldn't trust that. Because Wilbur was always right.

Since coming to Manberg Tommy hadn't been anywhere near the palace, he didn't want to see Eret. The traitor. The one who'd betrayed their nation for a  _ crown.  _ He wasn't exactly scared of speaking to Eret, no he was more than willing to teach the other a lesson. No, deep down he was scared of  _ him _ seeing  _ Tommy _ as a traitor too. He knew Niki thought it as well. He'd left Pogtopia, he'd come to work in Schlatt's cabinet as one of his right hand men. He'd  _ abandoned  _ his family.

In their eyes, Tommy was a traitor and had left for entirely selfish reasons. In Tommy's eyes, he was a spy and doing the right thing.

Though at this point - his mind was rather conflicted. His mind was telling him that Wilbur only valued him because he was able to bring them information from Manberg. But that wasn't true. It couldn't be true, Wilbur was his brother. He'd never use him like that. Right?

He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy the times he spent with Schlatt and Quackity. He would be lying if he said he didn't enjoy their company in general. Other than seeing Tubbo when he could, the only serotonin Tommy got was when he was making fun of Quackity with Schlatt. Tommy pretended it didn't feel sort of nice when Schlatt was kind to him. He pretended he didn't feel validated when both Schlatt and Quackity praised him for a good contribution during their meetings. He pretended it didn't feel nice when Schlatt smiled at him, genuinely, as he patted his shoulder and called him ‘Toms’.

On this particular day Tommy was on a small break, walking around Manberg in order to stretch his legs. He'd definitely been feeling a lot better. His horns had stopped growing so quickly and his headache - though it was still there - was easy to ignore. Things seemed better. And as he kept his gaze on the wooden path he didn't notice the figure walking towards him.

“Tommy?” Came a familiar, chilling voice that Tommy immediately recognized. Though it was soft, confused - Tommy could only remember it as how it had been  _ then. _ He carefully looked up to meet Eret's puzzled expression and narrowed his eyes.

“What?” He snapped without meaning to.

Eret winced, but he seemed to disregard Tommy's hostility when he spoke again, “what are you doing here? You know this is Manberg, right?” His tone was soft, but still, Tommy shuddered when he heard it. The only thing he could hear…

‘ _ It was never meant to be!’ _

Flashes of swords, the pain of a blade cutting across his skin, Dream's antagonizing laugh—

He snapped himself out of his daze and forced himself to look at Eret, “I know,” he replied coolly, “you probably didn't hear but I work here now.” 

Eret's expression twisted into one of shock, “you… what?” He asked.

Of course he wasn't going to tell Eret the truth either. Not that he was worried it would put the older man in any danger, but Eret was a  _ traitor  _ \- he'd probably tell Schlatt the first chance he got. Because traitors couldn't be trusted. Especially Eret.

So what if Eret saw him as a traitor too? Tommy knew he wasn't. 

“I work for Schlatt now.” Tommy kept his voice level. Eret's expression didn't shift from shock.

“But what about Wilbur and Tubbo?” His voice was laced with confusion.

“Why do you care?” Tommy snarled.

Eret flinched and took a small step backwards, “I was… I was just wondering.” Eret muttered, Tommy barely noticed the way his tone was filled with regret and sadness. He could only focus on the painful memories that Eret had caused. In his quest for power, he'd become greedy and took the first offer that was given to him. Kingship of the SMP. What did it matter? 

Tommy didn't say another word, he instead went to turn away when he came face to face with none other than Dream himself. Tommy mentally groaned - he  _ really  _ couldn't be bothered with any of this today. Especially Dream. 

“Hello Tommy,” Dream greeted, he nodded to Eret, “Eret.”

Tommy noticed Eret scowl at the masked man. 

“What do  _ you  _ want?” Tommy demanded, a hard edge to his tone.

Dream looked at him - or, from what Tommy could tell, it was hard to see anything from behind that mask. He just shrugged, “I was looking for an opportunity to say hello but I haven't seen you round recently. It's been a while since we last talked.” Dream told him.

“Yeah and I'd like to keep it that way.” Tommy seethed. 

“If you don't mind,  _ Dream _ \- Tommy and I were just about to head back to see Schlatt.” Eret stepped forward so that he was closer to Dream, “we're quite busy, your little chat will have to wait.”

“Since when did you work for Schlatt?” Dream asked the other man.

“I don't. I just need to talk to him.”

Dream seemed to glare at Eret, Tommy couldn't exactly see either pair's eyes but he could only assume they were locking gazes. A couple moments passed before Dream just nodded, and without another word he stalked away. Tommy turned to face Eret once more but the latter was already walking back towards the white house. Tommy followed behind uneasily.

Why would he step in like that? The two walked in silence for a few minutes, Tommy - too anxious to even say anything took a while to find his voice. He was terribly confused, why would Eret - traitor of L'Manberg,  _ King  _ of the Dream SMP save him from a confrontation with Dream like that? A confrontation that could have easily gotten messy.

“Why'd you do that?” Tommy finally asked.

“Because, it's Dream.” Eret replied, his tone flat.

“And? Why do you care?”

“Don't think I don't regret what I did Tommy.” 

Tommy just scoffed. As they reached the white house Eret turned back to look at him. And while his glowing white eyes displayed no emotion, Tommy could almost see the sadness within them.

“You literally threw everything away for that crown. Why would you regret it?” 

Eret sighed and lifted his gaze up to the Manberg flag that stood in the place of the old one, “everyone has regrets Tommy,” he murmured, “some more than others.”

* * *

_ “You're moving away?” The man croaked, setting his gaze on the man in the shit before him. The other shifted his feet nervously. _

_ “No! I don't think - no, I'm staying here.” He told him. _

_ “Why? It seems like you want to go.” The first man remarked dryly. _

_ “Because… Y'know, with all this…” The second man coughed, careful not to mention anything about the current situation. The first man understood immediately as his eyes blazed. _

_ “You're only staying out of pity?” _

_ “What? Of course not! You're my friend-” _

_ “I don't need your fucking pity mate.” The first man seethed. His eyes flashed dangerously. _

_ “Hey-” _

_ “She's  _ not _ going to die.”  _

_ “I didn't say she was-” The second man began. _

_ “Just shut the fuck up alright? Why is it that I'm always stuck with you of all people?” _

_ Hurt flashed across the seconds man's face as he looked at his friend for a couple of seconds before his gaze hardened and he pushed himself to his feet, still glaring. “Last time I checked that didn't bother you.” He muttered under his breath, still loud enough that he could hear him. _

_ The first man gave no response, he remained quiet, his eyes set unblinkingly on the floor. _

_ “I get that everything's gone to fucking shit but you're really blaming me for it?” The second man said, spinning round on his heel to face the first. When he got no word out of him his expression twisted into a frown, “really, no response? You know what, fuck you. Fuck you. Fuck you and your perfect fucking family I don't give a shit anymore. You're one to talk about pity when you always pitied me. You wanna be alone? You got it pal.” _

_ He didn't even turn to look as he stormed out of the room, leaving the first man alone once again. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eret, pog 👀  
> Eret protecting Tommy from Dream, POG???
> 
> Dream: *exists*  
> Schlatt, Quackity, Eret, literally everyone: *forming a protective circle around Tommy*
> 
> Next up, Wilbur really starts to lose his shit in Pogtopia.
> 
> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed!!! <3


	22. The Suit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt finally admits to himself that Tommy isn't so bad and gives him a small gift.

Schlatt didn't want to jinx anything - but things really were starting to look up. Since he'd given Tommy true responsibility and placed him in charge of something he could tell the boy had been a lot happier and a lot more productive too. Soon enough the colour had returned to his skin and he seemed pretty much like his usual self. Sure that meant it was a  _ lot  _ louder now but Schlatt didn't care. 

Manberg was certainly looking a lot brighter, whether that was due to the strange cheerfulness Tommy brough wherever he went or just by chance Schlatt didn't know. But anyone could notice the improvements. Schlatt definitely could, and he liked it. Things really had changed - just a month ago Manberg had been a pretty dull place, still recovering from wars that had happened before he'd become the president.

Now it seemed peaceful, quiet - no sign of conflict anywhere. 

Another thing on the list of improvements, Schlatt had tried to take a better turn and asked Quackity to help him make a plan to lay off the drinking. Quackity had eagerly agreed, he'd seemed delighted when Schlatt brought it up. He knew he couldn't just go cold-turkey, but Quackity was patient - still more patient than Schlatt deserved with the way he'd treated him a month ago. But patient nonetheless. 

Schlatt stopped keeping his distance so much, instead he finally started to reach out to the citizens of Manberg - and while he still felt the off rush of power he got from his status as president it wasn't as much as it had been a month prior that made him almost made with said power. He'd tried to do better, what for? Honestly he wasn't too sure himself. Was it to just please them? To feel anything but hated?

He told himself it was his own decision to lower Niki's taxes when he overheard Tommy getting heated about it with Quackity. Because it was. He was the president after all. After that Tommy had given him a suspicious look, like he knew Schlatt had been part of this but he just noticed the small smile the teenager gave him before he went back out to take a walk. 

Tommy had lots of ideas for Manberg, Schlatt guessed he'd had these ideas for a while but he'd never gotten the chance to share them since he didn't play much of a role when Wilbur had been president. Speaking of which, Schlatt was vaguely surprised since Tommy had come to Manberg Wilbur hadn't come demanding him back. Schlatt pitied the kid, did Wilbur really not care for him at all? Weren't they supposed to be brothers?

Schlatt enjoyed evenings. Those were the times they'd have dinner and settle down and chat together before eventually going to bed. Three weeks ago Schlatt would have been insisting he didn't enjoy them at all and he was only doing it for the sake of keeping an eye on the newest member of Manberg - now whenever he'd sit with Quackity and Tommy and talk about their day or listen to Quackity's rants he'd actually enjoy it.

When Tommy had come back the following day slightly late Schlatt had asked where he'd been, Tommy had panicked and rushed to explain but stumbled over his words. When Schlatt had told him to take a breath and calm down he looked at him like he was crazy. However he'd obeyed and then proceeded to explain he'd ran into Eret along the way and then Dream. 

Dream. Schlatt's blood boiled at the mention of his name. Just the mere thought of that green bastard hovering around Tommy made the protective feeling in his chest soar. But then Tommy had told him how  _ Eret  _ had led him away and brought him back here so Dream didn't have any time to talk to him. Schlatt hadn't really been too fond of Eret earlier but he was glad he'd lead Tommy away before Dream could try anything.

Though Schlatt found it strange that Dream had stopped visiting Manberg so much - and he had heard he was going into the woods a lot… All the more reason he couldn't be trusted around here. Schlatt didn't know where Pogtopia was - he hadn't bothered to ask Tommy either, when Quackity ever mentioned it Tommy was immediately set on edge. So Schlatt let it go.

He'd never thought to ask Tommy a month ago, even when he probably would have if he'd remembered. But thinking back to then where his original plan had been to use Tommy to his own advantage asking him the whereabouts of Wilbur and Tubbo would only support that plan. And Schlatt didn't like to think about that.

No. For whatever reason, Schlatt wanted to change. And for once he was actually willing to do it. If he could keep this up maybe the rest of the citizens of Manberg wouldn't hate him so much… Was he really doing this because he wanted to, or was he doing it because he didn't want to be hated?

Like all of Schlatt's questions he didn't know the answer. And so instead of searching for an answer he pushed the question out of his mind and just tried to forget about it until it eventually came back later - in which he'd do the same thing again. Usually he'd try and drink until he could barely think at all. But in this case he couldn't, Quackity was keeping a close eye on him most of the time since he'd promised to cut down on the drinking.

And less drinking meant his emotions were on the high again. Which meant he often started craving alcohol to  _ stop  _ the goddamned emotions. But he had to remain true to his promise, and usually, thinking about other stuff helped take his mind off the cravings for a bit. So he spent a lot of time lost in thought until someone eventually snapped him out of it.

One thing that was on his mind lately was how after a week and despite being better Tommy was still wearing Quackity's beanie - Schlatt hadn't seen him without it on since the first time he'd started wearing it. And Quackity, who'd vowed to never be seen  _ dead  _ without his beanie never even asked for it back. Schlatt had asked about this one evening, joking that Tommy was going bald under there just like how they'd suspected Quackity of being bald - Schlatt was honestly he wasn't - and Tommy had just laughed uneasily and shrugged it off, saying he liked it.

It was none of his business, so Schlatt left it alone. He didn't want to intrude. Schlatt himself thought it was weird how much he started to care… And at this point he couldn't even deny it, he cared about the kid - he wanted to keep him from any danger. Especially Dream. He didn't know why, he was still certain it was the lack of alcohol on his system that kept his emotions in check. 

But why… Why did it feel very  _ vaguely  _ familiar?

It was then Schlatt decided to occupy himself further and take a walk around Manberg. He didn't know how long he was out there for but by the time it was getting dark he started to head back. He found Tommy and Quackity in their usual place in the living room and moved to join them, Quackity greeted him with a smile while Tommy signaled with his hand. It was a stretch from Tommy completely ignoring the fact that he'd entered the room like he had a month ago.

Schlatt was surprised. Had it really only been a month? For some reason it felt so much longer. Or maybe his sense of time was a little messed up since he wasn't drinking as much as he had been a month ago. If his emotions were fucked up as well as time he wasn't at all ready for when he started to get withdrawals. 

“Hey, where'd you go?” Quackity asked him as he took a seat on the couch opposite the one he and Tommy were sat at, Schlatt huffed and stretched out his legs along the couch. 

“For a walk - usually I'd be getting drunk right about now so I decided to go clear my head.” Schlatt replied.

“It'll be worth it for when you can stop easily.” 

“Wait, you're stopping drinking?” Tommy asked, surprise flashed across his face as Schlatt turned to face him.

“Mhm,  _ trying  _ really. It's gonna take a while and it won't be easy, but hey, who said challenges were short n' easy anyway?” Schlatt told him.

“Does this mean I can smash all those bottles then?” Tommy asked eagerly.

Schlatt laughed, “I can't just go cold turkey kid, I have a small one now and then. But at least I'm not destroying my fucking organs as much as I was before.’

Quackity nodded in agreement, “then once he's finally rehabilitated and shit we can both smash those bottles at Bad's doorstep together.” He grinned at the other, Tommy grinned back. Schlatt just shook his head and rolled his eyes.

Tommy's expression was gleeful as the three talked through the rest of the evening. Schlatt gave the kid a fond look. He'd come a long way in the short time he'd been here. Schlatt knew the exile had made Tommy distrust him a lot, but he seemed almost completely  _ happy  _ to be here. Though Schlatt wasn't one to tell others emotions, it was evident that Tommy was enjoying himself.

And he was a good kid. A really good kid. When set on a task he could be responsible - Wilbur was stupid to have not chosen him to be his vide-president instead. Schlatt definitely would have if he'd ever had the chance. 

Yeah, he was a good kid. He was part of Manberg now. And he'd need something to show that. So when Quackity left them in silence to go to bed, Tommy was about to follow before Schlatt called him to stay.

“Follow me kid.” He instructed, Tommy did so, looking rather uneasy and on edge. Schlatt couldn't exactly blame him. He had exiled the kid from his own country, manipulated him during his first few days here and suddenly changed his demeanour out of nowhere and acted nice to him. From Tommy's perspective Schlatt could understand why he'd be cautious.

He led Tommy to his office, while the latter stood by the door Schlatt opened the closet doors, searching through until he found what he wanted and smiled fondly. He turned towards Tommy, the kid looked at him, slightly confused.

“W- What's that for?” Tommy asked.

“A suit, what does it look like?” Schlatt snorted, handing the suit that was identical to his own, neatly folded to Tommy, the boy took it slowly, “think of it as a sort of symbol.” He tracked on as an afterthought.

“A symbol?”

“A symbol of what you've achieved, y'know. What you've become,” Schlatt continued, “you've contributed a lot to Manberg in the past month, you've proved you can be trustworthy and determined. You're a part of my cabinet, about time you looked the part huh?”

Tommy eyed the suit, nodding slowly as he kept his gaze on the fabric in his hands. He looked back up at Schlatt, an unreadable expression on his face before he's gaze dropped again.

“Actually think of it as a welcome, a true welcome.” 

Tommy finally looked up again, “a welcome?”

Schlatt smiled and placed a hand on Tommy's shoulder, “welcome to Manberg Toms.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had this chapter ready to post yesterday but I recently got new WiFi and it took a while to come on. I hate living in the dark ages. 
> 
> Anyways!
> 
> Dadschlatt, help I'm soft.  
> This is one of the scenes I've been wanting to write for a while now, since it has a lot of meaning.  
> We've had Quackity giving his most prized beanie to Tommy, but what's better than that? Schlatt giving Tommy a suit identical to his own and telling him he's truly part of Manberg now.
> 
> Dadschlatt :)
> 
> Besides I needed a chance to write something really wholesome too, seeing as the next chapter will be another one of Tommy's POV's as he visits Pogtopia again then afterwards of course you've got the announcement of a certain festival...
> 
> Point is I'm very hyped to write more, this is where things really start getting interesting :)
> 
> And as always thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!!  
> And again, thank you for the amount of kudos. 800+??? I'm literally baffled skshskshss but thank you so much <333


	23. The Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy starts feeling guilty after Schlatt gives him the suit and has a surprise visit with Tubbo in Manberg.

When Schlatt led Tommy away that evening he didn't know what to think, but as always his mind jumped to conclusions and he was panic-stricken when he thought that Schlatt may have found out he'd been sneaking off to Pogtopia the past few nights. And when he'd invited him into his office - a place Tommy had never been before he knew it must be important. He was just about ready for Schlatt to lose it when he handed Tommy a neatly folded suit, hesitant at first, Tommy had taken it. And when Schlatt had smiled at him, told him he  _ trusted  _ him, gave him a warm, new welcome to Manberg.

For the first time since his arrival at Manberg, guilt washed over Tommy. That was supposed to be good, right? Then… Why did he feel so… _Shady?_ He'd gained Schlatt's trust in just a month, it had definitely been easier than be thought it was going to be. He just didn't expect it to have been so… Sudden. All he could do was force a smile back as Schlatt placed a hand on his shoulder and beamed at him. 

Schlatt ushered him to bed not long after and Tommy did so, placing the folded up suit at the end of his bed as he slowly climbed into it. He couldn't bring himself to sleep. Everything had been going great when he'd first started out, there was no confusion, no guilt - certainly no horns or hybrid features he had to hide… 

What was so different now? Had he really gotten attached? The last thing he'd promised himself  _ not  _ to do. After lying awake for a few hours he finally slipped into unconsciousness. It was a dreamless sleep - he was glad for once that his nights were no longer plagued with nightmares of the past. And when he woke he found it was relatively early, however that wasn't much of a surprise - since coming to Manberg he'd started to wake up a lot earlier. Mostly because Schlatt himself woke up early and only allowed them to sleep in on days he couldn't be bothered doing his job. Tommy couldn't help but laugh at that.

He forced himself up from his bed, and eyed the suit lying there, he grimaced slightly before he eventually took it from its place and changed into it on the spot. He fixed the beanie onto his head slowly. He was just about ready, except he couldn't fix his tie - though most teenagers his age should have been able to do a tie perfectly Tommy wasn't exactly like teens his own age and Phil had never taught him how to even do up a tie. And he'd never exactly needed a suit so that Wilbur taught him either.

He gritted his teeth, irritated now that he could barely complete a simple task that most  _ kids  _ could do. He was just about to give up when he heard a knock at the door. Keeping the annoyance out of his tone the best he could Tommy called out, “come in.” If it was Quackity he'd just ask him to help, after the latter had finished laughing at him for being unable to fix up a tie correctly. But to his surprise it was Schlatt, he looked at Tommy and smiled again, the same guilt from yesterday washed over Tommy all over again.

“Need some help, kid?” Schlatt asked, grinning.

Tommy furrowed his brow, “I'm fine.” 

“Yeah I can see that,” Schlatt replied, watching as Tommy fumbled with the tie, repeatedly messing it up. Finally he just laughed once and strode over to him, “y'know maybe I should've got one of those clip ons.”

“I can do it!” Tommy hissed under his breath. 

He just registered Schlatt rolling his eyes as his hands moved to catch the tie that was just about to fall out of Tommy's grasp, he just shook his head, “did Wilbur never show you how to do this?” He asked.

Tommy flinched, “we didn't exactly have much need for suits back home.” He responded dryly. 

“Alright kid you're gonna dress yourself out with this, just watch closely and listen as I do it.”

Tommy just nodded as Schlatt folded the tie over, Tommy focused on his instructions and movements as he flipped the tie and looped it over, and with a delicate tug he tightened the tie - fixing it so that it looked neat and finally looked back down to Tommy. Why was he being so  _ nice  _ to him all the time? Why was he treating him with kindness he didn't deserve?

“Join us when you're ready Toms, Quackity's making breakfast.” And with that Schlatt was gone once more, closing the door quietly behind him. 

Tommy looked into the mirror in the corner of his room, he had to admit the suit was nice, he'd really never had the need to wear one before. His old L'Manberg uniform didn't exactly count as a normal suit. He winced at the memory but again lost his train of thought as he stared into the mirror at his reflection. His fingers reached up to curl around the beanie as he slowly pulled it down, his other hand trailing the horns briefly. 

“Hey, do you  _ want  _ your breakfast to go cold Tommy?” Came Quackity's yell from down the hall, Tommy snapped out of his daze and quickly pulled the beanie back on his head and dusted himself off before heading out his room towards the kitchen.

Sure enough Quackity was there serving up their usual breakfast - a plate of toast was laid out neatly in front of him as Quackity took his own seat and looked at Tommy once more, he smiled a bit, “finally got a suit, huh?” He paused for a moment and added, “hey it fits you.”

Tommy fiddled with the tie in his hands and smiled to himself, “yeah.” He really had to owe Schlatt - the suit was amazing, and while a simple gesture, a small gift like this would have been nothing to just anyone else to Tommy it was a show of Schlatt's trust in him. Trust that… He didn't deserve. He'd only come here to help  _ his  _ side get back their power. To help Wilbur take his rightful place as president once more.

But… Was Schlatt even that bad?

“Kid's officially one of us now.” Schlatt put in brightly, only making Tommy's guilt worse. Why did he feel so  _ guilty?  _ He'd swore not to get attached in anyway. But why did he feel so bad about betraying Schlatt this way? Was it because deep down Schlatt treated him somewhat better than Wilbur ever had - or that he was so desperate for attention, to be praised and cared for that he'd take anything he got. 

Or… Was there something else? Deep down, Tommy had a strange feeling. He felt oddly safe around Schlatt, like he expected the latter to protect him just like he had with Wilbur when he was younger. Tommy didn't know what was going on, his emotions had never been so off before he didn't know what to think of it.

“And it's been good to have you back here Tommy.” Quackity said, nodding to him. The guilt only grew when he realized he'd be betraying  _ Quackity _ as well - Quackity who had helped him through so much when he'd first arrived here. Tommy couldn't believe it had only been a  _ month.  _ It felt so much longer… And Quackity was his friend… 

Why did everything suddenly seem so complicated? He knew he'd eventually have to turn his back on Manberg and go back with Wilbur… But… Did he really want to? After all, once Schlatt was removed from power Wilbur would step up as the president with Tubbo as his vice and where would  _ he  _ be in that equation? Back to doing absolutely nothing? Forced to watch as his own brother favoured his best friend over him… 

But he couldn't betray Pogtopia either. Because no matter what Wilbur did - no matter how much he pushed him away he was his brother. And he had to stick by his family. It would be nothing personal to Manberg or Schlatt… Schlatt was honestly not so bad… Maybe just a bit misunderstood and temperamental at times but not the evil tyrant Tommy thought he was a month ago. He just wanted to make Wilbur… 

“Good to be here.” Tommy replied.

“So are you gonna tell us why we're all dressed so fancy?” Quackity said, gesturing to his own suit that he was wearing. 

“There's something I want to announce, later on today. Something important.” Schlatt said with a grin. 

“How important?” Quackity asked, leaning in closer, unaware that his tie was hovering dangerously close to his food.

“I could tell you,” Schlatt mused, “but I'd much rather it was a surprise.”

“Oh you can't just say it's important and then  _ not  _ tell us!” Tommy complained, snapping out of his thoughts and turning to face the president who had a smug smile plastered on his face as Quackity continued to question and protest when he didn't answer.

“All I can say is that you guys are gonna love it,” Schlatt told them, “everyone's gonna love it.”

“Well when you say it like that it just sounds sinister.” Tommy scoffed.

“Schlatt you better not be planning a murder or anything.” Quackity joked.

Schlatt just laughed, “yeah it's nothing like that, I did say you guys were going to love it remember?” 

“So no murder, drugs? Is it drugs?” 

“No Quackity, it's not drugs.”

“Aw but that's so much better!”

“Quackity maybe you haven't noticed but there's a fucking kid here.”

“No I'm with Quackity on this one, is it about drugs?” Tommy grinned.

Schlatt put his head in his hands as he sighed dramatically and pushed himself up from his chair, “you guys go and do your own things for a bit, I need to prepare.” He said, still smiling.

“Can't we help?” Tommy asked.

“Toms… What part of surprise did you not get?” Schlatt said with a light-hearted tone.

Tommy just scoffed once more as Schlatt excused himself and made his way out of the kitchen. Quackity looked at Tommy for a moment and furrowed his brow slightly.

“What do you think he's got planned?” 

Tommy shrugged, “beats me, but it must be important if he's working this hard to prepare for it.” He got up from his chair, stretching as he tugged on the sleeves of his suit.

“Where are you going?” Quackity asked, scrambling up from his own chair

“Just for a walk.” Tommy replied, he really needed to clear his head - it was rather full at the moment.

“Oh sweet, can I join you?”

“Sure.” Though he really would have appreciated being alone right now he couldn't just push Quackity away like that when he'd helped him as much as he had.

The two made their way out the white house and onto the prime path. It was sunny for once, but luckily for them not too hot - it didn't exactly fit Tommy's dull mood but he was grateful it wasn't raining. Schlatt picked the perfect day to hold the announcement. Tommy started to wonder what he could have planned until Quackity's sudden voice beside him startled him out of his thoughts.

“How are your… Y'know… Horns?” Quackity asked. Tommy frowned, he quickly snapped his head round to make sure no one was near them and turned back towards Quackity, sighing deeply.

“Still growing.” He mumbled.

“And ears?”

“They itch a lot. Hurt a bit too but not nearly as much as the horns did.” Tommy admitted, “have you found anything yet?” Tommy asked, hopeful that he had at least found  _ something. _

Quackity shook his head, “nothing.”

“Great.”

Quackity didn't say more on the subject. The two walked in silence for a bit until Quackity was called away by Fundy who needed his help with something leaving Tommy alone once more. He shoved his hands into his trouser pockets and continued to walk alone. He was almost entirely lost in a daze when his attention pertained towards the bushes where his ears - which had become more sensitive to sounds lately picked up a rustling sound.

He was about to shrug it off as nothing when he saw brown hair poke up from the bush, followed by a pair of familiar blue eyes. Tommy's eyes widened as Tubbo beamed at him and ducked back down into the bush. He looked around, Quackity was long gone and no one else was around this area. Tommy darted towards the bush on the edge of the woods and found Tubbo crouched behind the bush, he lowered himself so that he was hidden too.

“Tubbo!” Tommy hissed, “what are you doing?”

“Well you hadn't visited in a couple of nights so I wanted to make sure you were okay.” Tubbo replied, his voice a low whisper as he continued to smile at him.

Despite his anxiety soaring Tommy smiled too, “it's been pretty busy out here, I was planning on visiting tonight but Schlatt has something planned.” 

“Oh? What does he have planned?”

Tommy frowned slightly, “did you really come here to check on me or Wilbur just send you here to make sure I'm still on your side?” He demanded, not intending to sound so harsh.

Tubbo looked slightly taken aback, “I only told Wilbur I was going to check on you, he didn't ask me to do anything.” He said sincerely. Tommy hesitated, he knew Tubbo would never lie to him. He relaxed a bit. 

“Sorry, you just shouldn't be here. What if someone else caught you?” Tommy asked.

“Like I said, I wanted to make sure you're okay,” Tubbo smiled, “did… Schlatt give you that?” He asked, pointing to the suit.

“Yeah…” Tommy responded, “he wanted everyone to be dressed for the announcement he's making later.”

Tubbo's eyes widened, “announcement?” 

Well if Tommy didn't elaborate no doubt Wilbur would get suspicious when he caught word of Tubbo coming to meet him.

“Yeah, and you can tell Wilbur too. Schlatt's making an announcement this evening - I'm not sure what about. He hasn't told anyone yet but apparently it's a surprise.” Tommy explained.

Tubbo nodded, “and how are you holding up?” 

“Okay I guess. Just coping as much as I can really,” He added with a shrug, “you?” 

“As good as I can be.” Tubbo smiled weakly, Tommy only just noticed he looked exhausted. How much sleep had he lost?

“Well you should get back, get some rest too. Schlatt will be calling the announcement this evening.” He paused, embracing his friend tightly, “take care Tubbo.” 

“You too.” Tubbo smiled, before scrambling to his feet and making his way back through the trees. Tommy looked up, to his relief the area was still completely deserted. He made his way back on the path and looked back into the woods where Tubbo had vanished. Thinking about just how tired Tubbo looked.

He wasn't sure what was going on in Pogtopia right now. He just hoped Tubbo was okay… 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tommy feeling guilty and starting to doubt his old views on Schlatt.  
> As he should :)  
> Oh I wonder what the surprise could be   
> And Tubbo!!! :D
> 
> Oh, I also made a playlist for this fic! I'll still be adding stuff to it but for now, here's the link!
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7JQ3cflPg1jNPcdb6rXPue?si=0H8U4zwqRRuaLKc7ZPgHFA&utm_source=copy-link
> 
> And y'know, if you ever wanna scream about this fic to me on tumblr I'm always up for that :)
> 
> https://darealtrashnoodle.tumblr.com/
> 
> As always thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoyed <333


	24. The Announcement [Part One]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wilbur plans to sneak to Manberg with Tubbo to find out what Schlatt's planning and Tommy has conflicting thoughts about Manberg...

Tubbo was just going to check on Tommy, that was it - Wilbur shouldn’t have been so paranoid about that. He was coming back, of course he was coming back! He was just being stupid that’s all - he knew neither Tubbo or Tommy would betray them. He just found that hard to believe with his anxiety repeatedly screaming at him that Tommy was going to betray them for Schlatt and now Tubbo had crossed over to their side too… Wilbur would spiral like this for a while until he directed his thoughts elsewhere. Like how he was close to thinking of a plan that would overthrow Schlatt and bring back L’Manberg. 

He didn’t know where Technoblade was currently, he usually just let his brother do whatever he wanted. He wasn’t keeping him here, Techno was here by his own choice and for one reason only. Because he wanted blood. Though it wasn’t necessarily Techno’s fault he was so violent - Phil had explained when Wilbur was younger that since Techno had gotten his piglin traits from their mother he also got piglin instincts. 

Meaning he was stronger than the average human and bloodthirsty too. While Phil was also a hybrid, a different type - Wilbur hadn’t inherited any hybrid genes from them. But he was perfectly fine with that. Besides, he wasn’t the only one. Tommy hadn’t inherited any of the hybrid genes from either of their parents too. He hadn’t been taught much about hybrids, only that it was rare for the gene to remain completely dormant like it had in them.

Speaking of Tommy, Wilbur _did_ worry about him. He didn’t mean to be so distant but it wasn’t Wilbur who had cut the strings - Tommy had when he’d picked Tubbo to be his vice-president instead. Wilbur had tried to make things right but Tommy had refused. And now their relationship lay as broken as ever. He didn’t favour Tubbo over Tommy he just… 

He was lost. He’d had his country - the very nation he’d started and built taken from him and he’d been forced to watch as that _tyrant_ Schlatt changed everything. He clenched his fists in anger at the mention of his name. Oh how he’d give anything to take down Schlatt himself. To see him fall at his hands… Except, he knew - killing Schlatt wouldn’t do anything.

When he heard the sound of footsteps echoing through the cave, he poked his head round to see Tubbo running towards him. Wilbur straightened himself, clearing his throat and making sure it was steady, “how is he?” He asked, ignoring the way his mind screamed at him about how Tommy could be betraying them as they spoke.

“He looks okay, everything seems alright.” Tubbo replied. 

_He likes it there…_ Wilbur thought, his eyes widened slightly. Anyone would notice that when Tommy visited Pogtopia he seemed distant and - not exactly happy but still somewhat glad to be there. But Wilbur could tell that was only to see Tubbo. He could understand why whenever he visited, Tommy didn’t talk to him much. Admittedly he hadn’t been exactly the best older brother. But it wasn’t his fault, he’d lost everything - and he was just trying to get it back. Not just for himself but for all of them. 

At least that’s what he told himself.

“Oh, and he told me to tell you Schlatt’s making some kind of announcement later this evening.” 

That grabbed Wilbur’s attention from his thoughts again, “announcement? For what?” He demanded.

“He said Schlatt wouldn’t say, but it seems important.” Tubbo replied quickly.

Wilbur furrowed his brow, it did sound very important. And it seemed Schlatt would be gathering the entirety of Manberg for this - Tommy, Quackity, Niki, Fundy. Everyone except them. And Wilbur didn’t just want to sit here and wait for Tommy to sneak away and tell them, no Wilbur wanted to hear this for himself. What was so important that Schlatt needed to gather the whole nation together to announce it?

Whatever it was, it certainly couldn't be good.

“This evening?”

Tubbo nodded.

“Are you up for a little trip Tubbo?” Wilbur questioned, grinning slightly.

Tubbo looked at him uneasily, “Uh… I mean, sure… What kind of trip?”

“To L’Manberg.”

“W-Why?”

“Because, we’re going to listen in on Schlatt’s little announcement and see what he’s planning for ourselves.”

He didn’t have a good feeling about this announcement, and if Schlatt was behind it, it was sure to be something bad...

* * *

As the evening grew closer Tommy noticed Quackity's excitement grew too - whatever Schlatt was announcing had to be _big._ And Tommy would be lying if he said he wasn't almost _excited_ for this. He had no clue what it could be but he was excited nonetheless. He thought back to his earlier run-in with Tubbo - there was no doubt by now Wilbur had heard of it and he'd either be eagerly awaiting Tommy's visit with information _or_ he'd find some way to listen in on the announcement himself. 

Wilbur was reckless like that. He hadn't been usually but when he'd lost L'Manberg he'd seemed to have lost all sense of cautiousness along with it. He would risk his _life_ if it meant spying in on this meeting. Then again, that was Tommy's job. _He_ was spying for them, _he_ was the one risking his very life for this. If Schlatt ever found out he was a spy…

Would he really go as far as killing him…? 

He continued to ponder his thoughts about the many possibilities of what the announcement may turn out to be, Quackity was still chatting to Fundy while the three of them gathered chairs around the podium - the very same podium Tommy had watched Schlatt exile him, Wilbur and Tubbo. He shuddered, trying not to think too deeply about that. Schlatt seemed to have changed a lot since then and it was clear he had. At least, Tommy hoped so.

Already, a crowd was forming where the three went about their business. Eret had ventured from his castle once again to see what all the commotion was about, Niki not too far behind. A few more familiar faces joined, Quackity must've told them about the announcement. Bad, Skeppy and Jack Manifold had come - Bad and Skeppy were talking amongst themselves quietly as Jack went over to join Eret and Niki. Tommy wished he could join them, he almost did before his eyes spotted Schlatt moving onto the podium. 

Tommy glanced at Quackity who just looked at him excitedly. He took a seat beside him and looked up where Schlatt stood, his eyes scanning the small crowd below. He swallowed hard, remembering the night of the election where he'd glared down with a sneer on his face and a crazed glint in his eyes. Now however, Tommy wouldn't spot any of that in his expression. Only a small smile and excitement flashing in his eyes.

“Alright!" Schlatt began, "so a festival, that's what I'm here to announce!”

Tommy blinked in shock, he didn’t know what he had been expecting but a festival certainly hadn’t been one of them. However it was definitely something Tommy could look forward to. For a moment he thought Schlatt had something else in mind - maybe he was just paranoid that Schlatt would ever find out what he was doing behind his back.

“We're gonna party, we're gonna have a good time, It's going to be a celebration of democracy.”

It sounded innocent enough, and from what Tommy could tell there was no manic gleam in Schlatt’s eyes, no antagonistic smile as there had been the day he’d exiled him.

“I think it’s about time we celebrate the democracy that allowed Manberg to live up to its fullest potential.”

Quackity cheered from beside him, Tommy would have too but he was too busy listening and processing Schlatt’s words. He also knew there was no way Wilbur would want to miss out on this - Tommy was aware that no doubt he’d be somewhere watching. Though it was clear he had nothing to worry about, it was just a festival.

“I reckon it's about time we celebrated that.”

What harm could a festival be?

"I reckon we get everyone down to join us, from all corners of the SMP - except of course, those two that will not be named."

Tommy flinched slightly, he wondered - if Wilbur really was watching - how he’d react to that. They hadn’t deserved to be exiled… He still didn't understand why Schlatt _had_ exiled them in the first place. Couldn't he just be content with his presidency?

“And we share, in the festivities, we share Manberg's independence.” 

But they wouldn't have had independence in the first place if _Tommy_ hadn't given up his disks to Dream. Wilbur looked like the hero, the true president of L'Manberg but it was _Tommy_ who'd sacrificed his most important belongings in order to save their nation. L'Manberg had been so full of war.

“And you know what? Let's forget everything else that ever happened, this isn't to gloat, this isn't because I won. No, I want to drive home the idea that this ]celebration will be about Manberg. This festival isn't about me, it is, and will always be about this country.”

And Schlatt - as much as Tommy _hated_ himself for admitting it, Schlatt hadn't caused any unnecessary wars for them - sure he may have exiled them without needing to but was he really that bad?

“A celebration of democracy, of law, and of the new era of peace that has been brought forth by my administration.”

Of course he was… At least that's what Tommy told himself. That's what _Wilbur_ had told him. And no matter what Schlatt did that made him seem like a better person Tommy could never just turn his back on his family like that. Wilbur and Tubbo were counting on him.

”When do you reckon we hold this thing then fellas? A week? Maybe in a week's time?”

Around him the small crowd was still cheering, Quackity was clapping along with Fundy - and as others joined in with the applause Tommy did to as to not seem suspicious. Quackity beamed at him, Tommy forced a smile back - trying not to show the internal struggle he was facing.

“Alright then, the sooner we get planning the sooner we can have this thing!” Schlatt finished, raising his voice to shout over the cheering and applause. He silently beckoned for Tommy, Quackity and Fundy to follow him. Tommy got to his feet as the crowd started to disperse leaving the four of them stood alone on the podium together

As soon as they reached the top Quackity and Fundh were already talking about his plans for the festival and Schlatt just laughed along with them. A festival, not at all what Tommy had been thinking but something good and very surprising too. But still, Tommy was excited. It was nothing bad. Just a little festival! Wilbur had nothing to worry about.

This was good. Not only good for Schlatt's reputation, but also good for Manberg and… Tommy broke off mid thought. Since when did he _care_ about Schlatt's reputation? What was wrong with him? He had to remind himself that he _wasn't_ on Schlatt's side in this. He didn't know why that had become so hard lately.

Fundy and Quackity left them shortly after, deep in their conversation about festival plans, leaving Schlatt and Tommy on the podium, staring out across Manberg. Tommy glanced offside to the woods where Pogtopia was hidden and a sudden wave of homesickness hit him. He put his head on his hands and continued to look across the nation he'd once helped build.

He looked up when Schlatt placed his hand on his shoulder again, the president opened his mouth to say something before he closed it again. Looking strangely conflicted about what he was about to say. 

“I'm sorry for… Exiling you Toms.” Schlatt said after a couple of moments of silence. Tommy looked up in surprise, why would he _apologize…_? 

Tommy couldn't even find any words to respond with - sure Schlatt had been acting nicer lately but he wasn't expecting an _apology_ like that…

“With Wilbur it was necessary, I couldn't exactly have the ex-president waltzing around Manberg,” Schlatt continued, “but you and Tubbo didn't deserve that.”

Tommy just stared into the setting sun, Schlatt's arm still placed on his shoulder as a comforting gesture - he didn't mind. It felt… Good. It reminded him of the hugs Wilbur would give him sometimes. Or maybe it was because he didn't have a friend to hug or his brother to wrap his arm around his shoulder when he was feeling down that he'd take it from anyone. Even Schlatt.

“So that's why I was thinking you could invite Tubbo to the festival.”

Tommy snapped his head up in surprise, excitement welled up inside him at the mere thought of having his best friend with him again, even if it was just for a day he'd take it. He didn't know why Schlatt would suddenly go as far in his random acts of kindness to allow _Tubbo_ in Manberg for the festival but Tommy wasn't complaining.

“Really?” He asked breathlessly.

Schlatt smiled at him, “yeah what the heck, go for it kid.”

“Thank you!” Without realising Tommy turned and embraced Schlatt in a hug, burying his head in the president's chest, his mind was racing, too excited to even think about what he was doing - Schlatt seemed a bit taken aback but his features softened as he patted Tommy's back awkwardly.

For a moment Tommy almost thought he was back with Wilbur… It had been so long since Wilbur had shown any sign that he still cared for him… And in his excitement his child-like eagerness had taken over. Then he pulled away from the embrace and turned back towards the white house, the happiest he'd ever been in over a month.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ah and here we are, the point where things really start getting interesting  
> and the point where there'll be less dadschlatt... i'm sorry to say  
> but still more in future chapters :)
> 
> so there you have it, schlatt and tommy are having a wholesome talk and at this point tubbo is suffering because wilbur has completely snapped  
> which reminds me, more of tubbo's pov and his reaction to wilbur losing it next chapter :)
> 
> and as always, thank you for reading and i hope you enjoyed this chapter!!! <3
> 
> ~~~
> 
> Hey there! Uh - if you're enjoying the fic and you ever wanna scream to me about it on tumblr, please feel free to! :)  
> [I'm sorry for the self promotion you can ignore this if you want to but here are some other places you can find me on jsdhfjshfs]
> 
> https://darealtrashnoodle.tumblr.com/  
> https://twitter.com/_trashnoodle_
> 
> Official spotify playlist: [I will be updating this frequently with new songs that I feel fit the vibes of the fic]
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7JQ3cflPg1jNPcdb6rXPue?si=0H8U4zwqRRuaLKc7ZPgHFA&utm_source=copy-link
> 
> Oh also, while you're reading this please go ahead and check out my gf's fic 'Between Dreams And Memories" if you haven't already read it :)  
> It's amazing and she deserves so many more kudos <3 
> 
> https://archiveofourown.org/works/26678554/chapters/65069272


	25. The Announcement [Part Two]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tubbo goes with Wilbur to watch Schlatt's announcement and tries to stop Wilbur from having a morality crisis.

Tubbo was nervous to say the least. He was scared. That wasn't exactly a new feeling but with Wilbur's sudden new boldness to go watch Schlatt's announcement he was terrified. What if they got caught? Tubbo hadn't been as nervous when he'd snuck in to speak to Tommy earlier, that was because Tommy had been  _ alone  _ and no one else had been there. But what Wilbur was doing - sneaking to Manberg where not only Schlatt, but the  _ entire  _ nation would be gathered together sounded like suicide to Tubbo.

But Wilbur wouldn't change his mind, he'd set a course - he'd set a course and he'd chosen to follow that course. There was no way Tubbo could just persuade him to wait and let Tommy come and tell them about Schlatt's plans himself. No Wilbur was certain that whatever Schlatt was planning could have no good meaning and he had to go himself to listen in.

Tubbo didn't protest, how could he? Wilbur was his president and he would never argue with his president, especially in Wilbur's current mental state. And so he waited until it was time, Wilbur had suggested they go early in case they missed it. There wasn't a specific time for  _ when  _ Schlatt would eventually give the announcement, Tommy had only told him this evening. 

Technoblade had returned from gathering them supplies, he'd noticed Wilbur's frantic pacing and looked at Tubbo uneasily. Though Techno didn't exactly hang around Pogtopia much, he was often elsewhere gathering supplies, farming potatoes or doing something Tubbo couldn't guess. Technoblade was a mysterious and secretive man, but Tubbo saw how he cared for Wilbur. So when Techno had noticed Wilbur's rapidly decreasing mental health he had of course expressed worry but didn't act on it.

When Wilbur finally beckoned Tubbo to follow him Tubbo did so without protesting, he kept his head down as they headed towards the direction of Manberg - Wilbur didn't talk, his brow was furrowed and his eyes tight, Tubbo guessed he must have been deep in thought. They both made their way up a tower for a better view, luckily this one had a perfect view of the podium. The podium that a crowd was starting to gather round. 

Tubbo scanned the crowd for any signs of Tommy and immediately relaxed when he saw Tommy sitting beside Quackity and Fundy, all three looked like they were in deep discussion. Tubbo looked on as Tommy seemed to laugh at a statement Quackity had made before his attention snapped towards Schlatt who had taken his place on the podium before them. Beside him Wilbur shifted uneasily.

The crowd fell silent and Tubbo and Wilbur watched on, in seconds a million thoughts raced through Tubbo's mind as he went through all of the possible reasons Schlatt could have called a meeting. Did he discover Tommy was secretly a traitor working for them? Was he going to call him out in front of everyone and exile him again? Or  _ worse _ ? Tubbo's chest tightened.

“Alright!" Schlatt called through the mic, "so a festival, that's what I'm here to announce!”

Relief surged through Tubbo as all of his previous anxieties were forgotten. For a moment he had been terrified of the possibility that Schlatt could have caught Tommy talking to him when he'd snuck into Manberg earlier, but as Tubbo scanned Schlatt's expression he couldn't find any anger or betrayal, only a wide smile plastered on his face as he went on.

“We're gonna party, we're gonna have a good time, It's going to be a celebration of democracy.”

A festival sounded completely harmless! Tubbo looked at Wilbur who was leaning against the stone wall, his eyes narrowed as he continued to watch the speech. Tubbo noticed the distress in his eyes as if he expected something to go wrong this very second. And Wilbur's paranoia only made his own spike at the thought of something growing horribly wrong.

“I think it’s about time we celebrate the democracy that allowed Manberg to live up to its fullest potential.”

There was a distant cheer from the crowd that Tubbo instantly recognized as Quackity, Tubbo snapped his gaze back at Tommy but the latter just watched, from the distance he was at Tubbo wouldn't see his exact expression but he remained quiet as Schlatt went on.

“I reckon it's about time we celebrated that.”

Tubbo saw Wilbur's face darken slightly. His hands gripped the cobblestone wall tightly as he leaned in even closer to hear what Schlatt was saying. Tubbo bit his lip nervously and looked back to the podium.

“I reckon we get everyone down to join us, from all corners of the SMP - except of course, those two that will not be named.”

Tubbo flinched, once again looking at Wilbur who looked downright outraged. Tubbo moved closer, placing his hand on Wilbur's back in a comforting movement, Wilbur glanced at him briefly, agony in his eyes as he turned his attention back to where Schlatt continued on with his speech.

“And we share, in the festivities, we share Manberg's independence.” 

_ Independence.  _ How dare Schlatt talk about the independence he hadn't even won for himself? In L'Manberg, they'd thought through  _ wars  _ to gain the independence  _ Manberg  _ had to this day. And even then the wars hadn't been enough. It had taken Tommy's near death experience and him giving up his prized possessions, the disks to Dream.

“And you know what? Let's forget everything else that ever happened, this isn't to gloat, this isn't because I won. No, I want to drive home the idea that this celebration will be about Manberg. This festival isn't about me, it is, and will always be about this country.”

That was rich. Maybe Wilbur's attitude was rubbing off on him but now  _ Tubbo  _ was the one who felt anger at Schlatt's words. He sure as hell didn't trust Schlatt, who could? It was as Wilbur had told him, every word he said was tainted with lies!

“A celebration of democracy, of law, and of the new era of peace that has been brought forth by my administration.”

Peace? Was it really peace. Tubbo's hands gripped the stone beneath them. And would there really be peace for that much longer? When would Schlatt show his true colours again like he had when he'd glared down from that podium and exiled the three founders on L'Manberg from their home? But… Tubbo froze suddenly. Sure L'Manberg was as important as ever but… His best friend who was risking his  _ life  _ to get it back was more important than some country would ever be.

So, why couldn't Wilbur see that?

“When do you reckon we hold this thing then fellas? A week? Maybe in a week's time?”

A week? So soon? Tubbo's anger was replaced with anxiety once more as he looked down on the crowd that had started cheering louder, he glanced at Wilbur again. All previous resent, fury and worry had vanished from Wilbur's face which was now replaced with a sorrowful look.

“Alright then, the sooner we get planning the sooner we can have this thing!” Schlatt finished, raising his voice to shout over the cheering and applause. Tubbo looked down to see Tommy clapping along with them. As the crowd started to leave and he noticed Tommy, Quackity and Fundy all making their way up to the podium, Tubbo turned back to Wilbur.

“Wilbur?” He questioned, “are you alright?”

Wilbur looked up, seemingly lost in thought, “hm?” It was like he wasn't even listening, like he was in a completely different world. Tubbo looked back down at the podium and then at Wilbur once more.

“It's just a festival, I don't think Schlatt could be planning anything else.” Tubbo tried to reassure him quietly. Wilbur simply grunted, still processing the events that had just transpired before them. Tubbo watched him silently, unsure whether or not he should speak again.

Wilbur didn't move, he kept his gaze locked on the floor below them. His arms folded across the smooth cobble wall around the tower - Tubbo stayed by his side, not speaking a word as he waited for Wilbur to regain himself so they could leave. 

It was quiet for a while, Tubbo looked out across Manberg with a heavy heart. He'd missed being here so much… He could only imagine how Tommy would feel. He was home… But not exactly. This wouldn't be home until they had reclaimed it as their own. Speaking of Tommy, Tubbo watched as Quackity and Fundy left the podium, leaving both Tommy and Schlatt alone. Tubbo watched intently, wondering what they were talking about.

Tubbo jumped up in surprise as Wilbur looked at him sadly, and turned to walk away, “come on, let's get out of here.” Tubbo nodded slowly, casting one more glance at the podium - he blinked in shock when he saw Tommy  _ embracing  _ Schlatt in a hug before running off in the direction of the white house. He looked back at Wilbur, who was still walking away, and part of Tubbo was glad he hadn't witnessed this. Tubbo tore his eyes away from the podium and followed Wilbur away.

Did… Did Tommy really like Schlatt more than them? Would he ultimately  _ choose  _ to stay in Manberg on his side? Why… Tubbo didn't understand. A month ago Tommy would have jumped at the very opportunity to  _ kill  _ Schlatt - and now… Now he was  _ hugging  _ the very man who had  _ exiled  _ them without mercy?

Though this could have just been another attempt for Tommy to get closer to Schlatt, to get Schlatt to trust him more.  _ Yeah _ , Tubbo reassured himself. There was no way  _ Tommy  _ would embrace their  _ enemy  _ willingly if it weren't to gain his trust.

As Wilbur marched away Tubbo almost had to run to keep up - he panted, following Wilbur the test of the way into the forest as he attempted to clear his mind. ”Wilbur?” He called out tentatively.

“Tubbo... I- I got a question for you.” Wilbur finally spoke much to Tubbo's relief. He finally caught up and walked by his side, he bit his lip nervously, wondering what Wilbur was thinking now. 

“This- this festival... It's- it's a good idea.” Wilbur went on before Tubbo could respond, he seemed worried - completely on edge. Tubbo could tell.

“It doesn't seem like a bad... This doesn't seem evil.” Wilbur added in a strained tone, “This seems like a nice, friendly thing Schlatt's doing.”

He was right, Tubbo had been expecting something bad - as far as he had been concerned Schlatt was going to announce something horrible. And the very thought of Schlatt finding out Tommy's true motivations set him on edge. But it didn't seem like he knew, after all - he hadn't done anything about the hug.

“Tubbo... Tubbo are we the bad guys?”

The question brought Tubbo up short as he came to a sudden stop by the entrance to the caves of Pogtopia. His eyes widened as he scanned Wilbur's own, desperately hoping that this was nothing but a joke and he was just going to laugh it off as one too.  _ The bad guys? _

Wilbur went on without another reply, “we just... We just kind of made ourselves the leaders. And as soon as we planned an election, an election we originally intended to be rigged he won. And now... Now we're trying to overthrow him.”

Tubbo remembered when Wilbur had first set up the election he had believed no one would run against him, but he'd been proved wrong when Quackity and George had stepped up along with Fundy and Niki… And as soon as they'd added Schlatt into the picture, Schlatt, who was supposed to have been their endorsement to win, everything had gone wrong.

“It feels like we're the bad guys.”

Tubbo swallowed hard. He had to be joking… They weren't… Of course they weren't the bad guys… How could they be?

“Tubbo am I a villain in this story...?” Wilbur whispered.

Finally, Tubbo was able to find his voice, "of course not." He assured him, his voice wavering slightly, he hoped Wilbur didn't notice.

“Why not?” Wilbur asked, his voice harder than it had been before as his eyes narrowed on Tubbo's face. Tubbo shrank under his glare.

“Because we- we started L'Manberg. We should have won…” He replied timidly.

“But the people decided we shouldn't have.” Wilbur stated harshly, Tubbo flinched.

“We allowed the coalition. We were arrogant, we thought we would win but we didn't.” 

Tubbo winced, remembering Quackity's glare he'd given them as he'd denied their offer to combine their parties together, his laugh had he'd declared  _ Schlatt2020  _ and his smile when it had been announced that Schlatt had won.

“Now we're trying to overthrow him... I think we're the bad guys.”

Tubbo watched as Wilbur started pacing around the woods frantically, fear gripped his chest as he watched, unable to speak. How was he supposed to? Was it because Wilbur may be right? But they wouldn't be the bad guys…  _ Surely not _ .

“Okay we both agree we're right, we're in the right here aren't we?” Wilbur asked suddenly, he turned round to look at Tubbo again, this time a strange look in his eyes, something Tubbo couldn't read.

Tubbo forced himself to respond, “yes…”

“Then let's be the bad guys.” 

Tubbo backed away fearfully as the look in Wilbur's eyes became more readable, the once dull, defeated gleam had been replaced with a look of insanity, regret and anger. Tubbo's heart rate picked up. Be the bad guys…? What was he talking about?

“What...?” He choked out, his voice barely above a whisper.

“Our nations gone, our nations far behind us now, let's - let's blow that place to smithereens.” Wilbur said breathlessly, a look of relief washed over the former president's face as Tubbo guessed this was something he'd wanted to get off his chest for a while. And finally, with Schlatt's announcement about the festival he'd finally gone over the edge and snapped. Tubbo shouldn't have been so surprised, he knew it had been coming for a long time.

“What... What are you saying?” Tubbo croaked, “we can't - we can't blow it all up…”

“I say if we can't have Manberg  _ no one _ !” Wilbur suddenly raised his voice and Tubbo stumbled backwards at the fury in his words, “ _ no one _ , can have Manberg!” Tubbo watched, his eyes stretched wide in horror as Wilbur continued to glare, “L'Manberg.” The brunette added quietly.

“We could- we could still take it back-”

“This is a new era Tubbo, we burn that place to the  _ fucking _ ground!” Wilbur let out a strange high-pitched peal of laughter, his eyes  _ gleaming  _ with unlocked insanity that he'd kept hidden for so long, “I want it all gone!”

“Wilbur... It's not too far gone. There's a reason Tommy gave up his disks! There's a way we can reclaim it, we can rebuild-” Tubbo began but Wilbur cut him off sharply.

“What's the point?”

“There's always a point, you can't stop seeing it now!” 

Wilbur stared at him for a moment, his eyes scanning Tubbo's face. He inhaled deeply and let out another breathless chuckle.

“I know why you're doing this Tubbo…” Wilbur said, his voice eerily calm, “I can see it in your eyes... Tubbo, you're scared. Since the day I picked you to be my vice-president you've been  _ terrified  _ of your responsibility. You were scared Tommy was going to think differently of you, you  _ care _ too much about what others think about you, and now I'm starting to think picking you was a bad choice.” 

Tubbo's breath hitched as Wilbur's words sunk in. Tears stung the edges of his eyes but he held himself together,  _ Tommy… Please Tommy I wish you were here.  _

“You're not a leader Tubbo, you're a follower, a yes man.  _ I'm _ only doing what's best for you, I'm trying to shape you into a good leader but you won't let go, you won't let go of L'Manberg despite there being absolutely no hope left in saving it.”

But there was hope, there  _ had  _ to be hope! Hope was the only thing still keeping Tubbo together. Hope that he'd get his home back, hope that he'd get his best friend back, hope that this entire nightmare would end.

“Listen Tubbo, we have a man on our side who rigged our nation with TNT. And we can do the same to them. We can rig this festival with TNT! We can kill them all!” Wilbur yelled.

All of them? Had he  _ completely  _ lost his mind? Didn't he care that  _ Niki  _ was there, that Fundy - his own son and  _ Tommy  _ were there? 

“No…” Tubbo whimpered.

“Haven't you noticed? Everyone who's claiming to be on our side is lying to us!” The flame of insanity in Wilbur's eyes only grew brighter with each word he spoke, "Tommy? He's lying to you! You've seen how happy he is there, he would drop us the  _ second _ he realizes we're not in the lead anymore!” 

“Stop it!” Tubbo exploded, Wilbur blinked in shock at his sudden outburst, but he seemed to just brush it off as the smirk returned to his face and he started walking down into the cavern.

“This... Wilbur this isn't the right thing to do…” Tubbo called out, but his words fell deaf to Wilbur's ears, Tubbo could only watch as Wilbur's insanity was fueled more and more with each passing second, and he was helpless to stop it. He lowered his head, trying not to let the tears fall, he took a sharp breath in as Wilbur went on.  _ Oh Tommy, please come back soon… _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tubbo's perspective of the festival  
> Oh Tubbo angst?  
> Uh - I guess my hand slipped :)
> 
> Next up? Tommy and Quackity plan for the festival together! 
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this chapter!!! <333


	26. The Doubt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Schlatt has a rough evening and Tommy and Fundy do some planning for the festival and seemingly bond over their mutual dislike for Wilbur's current mental state.

The idea for the festival had been a sudden one, but a good idea nonetheless. Schlatt had been brainstorming in his office prior wondering what he could possibly do to make things in Manberg more…  _ Eventful.  _ Sure he'd gotten his presidency, a great cabinet and a nice place to live - and though the arrival of Tommy had sparked new life in their nation he still couldn't help but feel that things were a little…  _ Dull. _

So in order to create some fun, a celebration had come to mind. And what better to celebrate than their independence and the very entirety of the democracy that had put him into power, thus making his life a whole lot better. Because Schlatt knew that without Manberg, without Quackity, Tommy - heck, without even  _ Fundy  _ he'd be nothing right now. Still scamming to make a little bit of cash just to live off.

A festival seemed like a good idea, perhaps one of the best ideas he'd had in a while. He'd been waiting for an opportunity for some sort of celebration and this was it! So when he had stood on that stage, he spoke calmly, and sincerely, a lot more different than to how he had spoken just a month ago. He'd swept his gaze across the small crowd of people and for the first time he felt properly  _ welcomed.  _ He'd spotted Quackity cheering and applauding like crazy, Tommy beside him clapping slowly. There was excitement in his eyes but he didn't seem that enthusiastic.

Of course he didn't. He probably missed Wilbur and Tubbo. Schlatt didn't understand why but he started to  _ sympathize  _ with the kid. And he'd had a thought… Maybe… Maybe he should embrace this feeling, maybe he should stop pretending he didn't care about the kid at all and admit he didn't just a little bit. When Quackity and Fundy had left to talk things through about the festival Schlatt stood at the podium beside Tommy, thinking it over to himself.

Finally, he gave in, “I'm sorry for… Exiling you Toms.” He said quietly, not wanting to startle Tommy who had been stating out towards the sunset for a few moments. Tommy looked up at him immediately, his eyes full of a mixture of surprise and confusion. 

“With Wilbur it was necessary, I couldn't exactly have the ex-president waltzing around Manberg,” Schlatt added when Tommy didn't respond to his words, “but you and Tubbo didn't deserve that.” He said.

Schlatt watched as Tommy's eyes turned sad and he turned his head away to look back into the sunset, Schlatt sighed heavily. He knew he'd made a mistake exiling the kid. He just hadn't been thinking clearly, he'd been so consumed with his newfound power that he hadn't even  _ cared  _ how it would have affected both Tommy and Tubbo. And he'd kept thinking that way for a while until… Tommy had come to Manberg. With the mention of Tubbo and Wilbur Tommy seemed to fall back into that very same state he'd been in when he'd first arrived. Lonely, sad, most likely homesick. 

_ Lonely.  _ Now Schlatt had a thought. Something, that despite something that he could only allow for a day that could make him a lot happier. After all, he'd be handing out the invites pretty soon. What was one more? This was supposed to be a happy festival after all, he couldn't have him go sulking around like this. Schlatt smiled to himself as he placed his hand on Tommy's shoulder again.

“So that's why I was thinking you could invite Tubbo to the festival.” He finally spoke.

Tommy snapped his head to face Schlatt again, excitement lit up his features as he stared in bewilderment at him. “Really?” He asked breathlessly.

Schlatt gave him another quick smile, “yeah what the heck, go for it kid.”

“Thank you!” Tommy whispered breathlessly, Schlatt was about to respond when suddenly he was enveloped in a tight hug. He blinked in shock, looking down as Tommy clung to him still. Then his eyes softened as he reached out a hand and patted Tommy on the back slowly, still unsure what to do - he'd never exactly expected a hug before. 

Tommy pulled away and made a dash back to the white house, leaving Schlatt confused, baffled and alone at the top of the podium. He stood there, completely breathless for a couple of minutes before the cold finally got to him and he made his own to the white house. His mind was swimming with endless thoughts and questions, one the most frequent questions that popped into his head -  _ why? _

Why did he care so much for the kid? Why did he feel  _ responsible  _ for him? Why… Why did this feeling, this  _ instinct  _ feel so goddamn familiar? He could maybe trace it back… He could trace it back to

_ ‘I- I was stupid…’ _

It was almost as if…

_ ‘I just can't I'm not ready—’ _

_ No.  _ That was impossible. He was gone, long gone. It was a coincidence.  _ He'd said he was moving far away, there's no chance any of them…  _ Schlatt shook his head. His thoughts were becoming incredibly loud now. When was the last time he'd had a drink? He couldn't deal with all these thoughts and emotions anymore it was just too much for him to handle. Automatically he found himself walking towards the kitchen when he stopped himself with all the willpower he could manage.

He wasn't  _ this _ fucking weak. He'd promised himself he was going to try and be better - to  _ not  _ drink until he passed out. He'd drink as less and less as possible. But… It was so tempting. To have all his thoughts and feelings wiped away until he was numb and he couldn't think about it anymore, until he could barely think at all. 

He reached out with a trembling hand towards the kitchen door.

_ ‘Wait, you're stopping drinking?’ _

Schlatt's hand dropped to his side. He wasn't this pitiful - he forced himself to turn back round and head towards his room once again. He opened the door and closed it gently behind him, dragging his feet towards the bed - suddenly feeling extremely tired. He fell backwards, sprawled out across the sheets and he closed his eyes, his head pounding from everything that had happened.

What the fuck was he doing? 

He wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and stared across the room, despite feeling tired he was also feeling restless. He exhaled deeply, this was going to be a long night. 

* * *

Since the announcement of the festival Tommy had been dragged off with Quackity to plan ahead - he didn't understand the panic but the festival  _ was  _ only in a week's time and Quackity was going into overdrive, using the opportunity and his status as the vice-president to boss everyone around to get things ready. Tommy himself took his own sweet time doing things and frankly ignored Quackity's anger whenever he refused to speed up.

Since Schlatt had told Tommy he'd invite  _ Tubbo  _ to the festival Tommy had been a lot more excited about it than he had been before. He really didn't know why Schlatt was being even  _ more  _ kinder than usual. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that he hadn't had as much alcohol or something - Tommy wasn't exactly sure how it worked but it was his best guess. Techno had always told him alcohol made adults act like assholes. 

Quackity had taken the role of creating decorations while Tommy had been put in charge of games and activities. With all this extra work to do keeping him up at night Tommy knew he wasn't going to be able to visit Pogtopia for a little while yet. But Wilbur, Techno and Tubbo could last without him for a couple of days, they were probably doing just fine without him there to disrupt anything - at least he hoped they were. Lately his doubts had been getting the better of him.

Unfortunately for Tommy, Quackity had also placed  _ Fundy  _ on games and activities too, so that meant Tommy had to spend most of his time working with him, which to Tommy was absolute hell. He had to resist the urge to snap at the hybrid multiple times whenever he attempted to take charge or tell Tommy what to do. For a while the two would just work in silence and write down any ideas they had for plans, and only when they needed to would they speak about their plans aloud. 

Tommy had been on pretty good terms with Fundy prior to the whole election - he'd even joke with the fox hybrid sometimes and get into mischief with him. It was only when he had watched Fundy cheer on Schlatt when he had won and had done nothing but watch as they were chased out of their nation too. But… Tommy was conflicted - Schlatt didn't seem so bad  _ now.  _ Did that mean Fundy wasn't as bad either? He didn't know what to think, so he just continued to work in silence.

Then Fundy had spoken up and asked the very question he dreaded to hear. “Why did you leave Wilbur and Tubbo?” His tone was laced with confusion and quiet as the two worked on.

Tommy froze, avoiding the hybrid's glare he replied, “does it matter?” He demanded, still not looking up to meet his eyes.

He heard Fundy sigh, “guess not.” 

The room fell silent once more as Tommy found himself overthinking matters again, he still didn't like how everything had suddenly become so complicated. The plan had been simple, infiltrate Manberg, gain Schlatt's trust and report back to Wilbur so they could take down Schlatt from the inside. Now… Though Tommy had gained Schlatt's trust, the suit was unmistakable proof of that - though he trusted Tommy like he trusted Quackity or any other member of Manberg Tommy felt differently about the whole situation now.

The old Wilbur would have laughed if he said he was starting to doubt Schlatt's tyranny, that he'd finally grown up a little and matured and had developed a deeper conscience. The new Wilbur would not listen to a single word he said and would most likely call Tommy a traitor and cast him away. Sure, Schlatt had been a major asshole when he'd first became president but Tommy had witnessed him change drastically in the past one for whatever reasons. 

“You know I never hated you guys, right?” Fundy suddenly spoke once more, Tommy snapped himself out of his thoughts to finally look up and meet the other's gaze.

Tommy didn't know how to respond, so he hummed quietly instead and tried to focus on his planning rather than a heart to heart talk. Though of course, he couldn't catch a break and Fundy decided to go on.

“Okay, maybe I hate Wilbur but not you and Tubbo. Wilbur was a shitty dad and I bet he's an even more shitty brother. I only joined because I saw an opportunity to leave that all behind.” Fundy explained.

Tommy hated that he could understand that, though he hadn't exactly betrayed Wilbur, part of him had still wanted to get away - to get away from the frequent looks of pity that he'd give him and the times he'd simply just ignore him. He hated how he could sympathize with Fundy, he hated how part of him almost  _ wanted  _ to leave Wilbur and Pogtopia behind. But he knew he could never do that, because no matter what, they were his family and he couldn't leave them behind, and despite Wilbur being a terrible brother he still cared about him.

“I guess… That makes sense.” Tommy forced himself to respond so Fundy didn't catch on. He lowered his gaze once again.

“Honestly I have to admit, I had my doubts about Schlatt before but he's changed a lot recently. He's doing a good job.” Fundy went on, seemingly happy that the two had truck up some kind of chat despite the conversation only really being one sided. But Tommy replied, only to seem nice, and because Quackity and Schlatt were both busy planning and he had no one else to talk to.

“Yeah he is.” Tommy said quietly, not daring to think about how he may have actually  _ meant  _ that. 

It was quiet for a few minutes after that, Tommy thought he'd finally found some piece of quiet. Though his headaches and certainly been calming down as his horns stopped growing as quickly he still didn't want to push his luck with all the noise.

“Tommy…” Fundy said, interrupting the blissful silence. Tommy groaned to himself.

“Yes?”

“How was Wilbur doing? Before you left?” Fundy asked quietly.

Surprised, Tommy answered truthfully, “he'd seen better days, bitch looked tired as fuck, hadn't slept in a while. He missed L'M— Manberg.” 

“Did he… Did he ever talk about me?”

Tommy thought back to the few short months he'd spent in Pogtopia, Wilbur hadn't exactly mentioned his son a lot - but anytime Tommy had gone for a visit he hadn't spoken of Fundy at all. In fact, whenever Tommy brought Fundy up he'd simply brush it off and change the subject and demand more information about Schlatt. Tommy winced, realizing just how less Wilbur had seemed to care about him as the time progressed. How little he seemed to care about anything really.

“A few times,” Tommy told the hybrid, “but not much really, he seemed sad so he avoided the topic.”

“That's Wilbur for you.” Fundy muttered under his breath, his ears flattened against his skull as he looked down at the paper which Tommy noticed in his distracted state had accidently doodled all over.

“Mhm.”

Once the hours clicked by and the two talked quietly to one another Tommy decided it was time to head back and get some rest, his head was almost pounding again which probably meant his horns had started to grow a few inches again, luckily it still wasn't visible beneath the beanie, and his ears - which had developed a lot within the past week were also perfectly hidden underneath the beanie. Tommy really owed it to Quackity for that one. But he still had no idea what he was going to do when his horns became too big to hide… 

As he made his way into the living room he noticed it was empty, he didn't mind that, it meant he could at least get  _ some  _ peace before Quackity and Schlatt came back from wherever they were currently. Tommy yawned rather loudly, stretching his aching limbs across the couch, after sitting still for so long that way his joints had become rather stiff and he'd also become very tired too. The clock on the wall ticked onz the rhythm itself started to make Tommy's eyelids droop. He blinked them open, trying to stay awake. It was still early, Quackity and Schlatt wouldn't be back for a little while - so he could fit a small nap in.

He thought about moving to his bed but he couldn't be bothered, and as sleep overtook him his body slumped into the couch and within seconds his head rolled back and he was snoring quietly.

* * *

_ “Hey Wilby, what's that?” Tommy asked, climbing up on the couch to sit beside his brother, trailing a small hand across the wooden surface of the object he held. _

_ Wilbur chuckled, used to his brother's nickname by now, “this is a guitar, a music instrument - you play songs on it.” He said, opening his arms so that the small child could crawl onto his lap, Tommy did so, looking at the guitar in awe. _

_ “What songs?” Tommy looked up, grinning widely. _

_ “Any if you're good enough,” Wilbur grinned back, “I taught myself to play, it's hard but it's a good hobby.” _

_ “Could I play?”  _

_ “I mean you're a little too young to learn—” Wilbur began before Tommy reached out with a tiny hand and plucked at one of the guitar strings, the boy giggled in response and continued to pick at the other strings too, letting out a high peal of laughter every time each new string gave a different sound. _

_ “Teaching him how to play a guitar? Lame.” Techno said as he passed by the room. _

_ Wilbur rolled his eyes, “oh what would you prefer he do, go hunt down some mobs and learn to fight with a sword?” _

_ Techno simply shrugged, “everyone's gotta fight someday.” _

_ “Not all the time.” Wilbur muttered as Tommy happily ignored the two and continued running his fingers across the guitar strings. _

_ “Someday.” Techno reminded. _

_ “He's four Techno, can't you forget all this blood crap for five seconds and let him be a kid for once?” Wilbur snapped. _

_ Techno glared for a moment before he just shook his head and repeated, “lame.” Before he turned away and walked out of the room, Wilbur just furrowed his brow as he turned back to Tommy who was looking at him, giggling in delight. _

_ “Fun!” _

_ “Would you like me to play you a song Tommy?” Wilbur asked. _

_ Tommy nodded, beaming at him. _

_ Wilbur smiled softly, and started humming a gentle melody as his fingers plucked against the guitar strings, the soothing sound filled the air and the two brothers say like that for a while before Tommy eventually fell asleep and Wilbur continued to sing into the night. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter originally was supposed to be Tommy and Quackity but I wanted to add more Fundy in here to here we go :)
> 
> So close to the festival now guys!  
> I can't wait :)))
> 
> Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed <333


	27. The Night Before The Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tommy runs into Wilbur on the evening before the festival and to his horror learns of Wilbur's plans to detonate Manberg while Schlatt goes on a peaceful evening stroll.

Tommy was conflicted. Still - while he had a duty to fulfill to his family, he had also grown to almost  _ like  _ life living in Manberg. He'd be lying if he said he  _ despised  _ staying with Schlatt and Quackity. And though he had been a terrible person when Tommy had first met him he could tell Schlatt was changing for the better, and it wasn't just him who noticed it either.

After he and Fundy had finished the games, Schlatt had told him he wanted Tommy to give a speech in front of everyone in Manberg. Tommy had been taken aback by this, he wasn't usually one to give speeches so this was a surprise. As he expressed his concern about the idea that he wouldn't be able to do it Schlatt had reassured him he would. 

“I usually just think from the top of my head, but if it helps write it down, heck take the paper up there on stage with you, this isn't exactly a theater performance, kid.” Schlatt had told him.

So all he had to do was write a speech for the festival, a speech about Manberg and how it had progressed in the month he'd been here - he couldn't really vouch for the months prior but all he had to do was make sure Schlatt believed it. A lot had changed in Manberg, really he didn't have to lie. It… It wasn't as  _ bad  _ as he thought it would have been.

As the week between the announcement and the festival stretched on Tommy became so consumed with the planning that each night he'd fallen asleep rather early due to his exhaustion and overworking himself. That first night, the evening after Schlatt's announcement he'd passed out on the couch and woken up there with a blanket neatly placed over him. He asked Quackity if he'd had anything to do with it but the vice-president had just shrugged and told him, “maybe it Schlatt.” And then he'd ran off once more to make sure everything with the planning was still in order.

Tommy knew Schlatt was being nice - he still didn't get why and he was definitely convinced it probably had something to do with him trying to give up drinking. He'd soon stop dwelling on that, finding that he was no longer concerned, cautious or distrustful of Schlatt's behaviour and decided to just give up on figuring the president out and focus on the more important things.

Quackity was as irritating as ever, he wanted the festival to be absolutely perfect - and in his desire for it to be perfect he started to lose a  _ lot  _ of sleep. Schlatt told his vice-president to sleep but Quackity would just brush it off and say he was fine, but Schlatt and Tommy knew otherwise but they didn't want to get on the wrong side of Quackity's temper so they gave up trying to help him.

So as the week sped by Tommy found himself excited for the festival, today was the day Schlatt would be sending out the rest of the invites - which meant he'd also be inviting Tubbo. Tommy was all but prancing with joy until he remembered he hadn't visited Pogtopia in so long and he hadn't even told Wilbur and Tubbo that Schlatt planned to invite the younger to Manberg for the day. But that was okay, he'd go this evening if he had anytime to spare. He just hoped he did. Life was rather busy, especially at the moment.

It was just a day before the festival took place and Tommy was staring at Manberg in awe, the decorations were in place, and Quackity had sure done a good job with them. Posters were hung on the walls of buildings around the area and banners were spread across nearby tree branches, confetti was strewn out over the grass and the podium returned to its former glory. Just a few meters away from the podium were the games that Tommy and Fundy had set up and Tommy had to admit, he was quite proud of what he had done. 

Even though most things for the festival were already sorted and done Quackity was  _ still  _ getting stressed about the arrival of the day itself. And what was worse that his lack of sleep made him extremely short-tempered too - so it had taken a lot of force for both Tommy and Schlatt to convince Quackity to get some rest. Which the latter had done, not before he'd yelled a little and eventually passed out on the spot.

Niki had come to visit Tommy too, though she seemed a little distrustful of Tommy she talked to him nonetheless and expressed her excitement for the festival but also her worry, she seemed to fear it was just something Schlatt was doing for his own personal gain, to improve his image across Manberg. Tommy had originally thought the same thing but… He wasn't sure why but now it just didn't seem very likely that it was Schlatt's true goal.

“It's just a festival, I don't see the problem with that.” Tommy had told her, “there's nothing to worry about either, Big Q's been planning the shit outta this thing he's got it all figured out.”

Niki didn't seem assured at all but she'd quickly changed the topic to a more light-hearted one and the two had talked for a while before Niki eventually excused herself leaving Tommy walking alone along the prime path. He was a little tired himself if he were being honest, so maybe he'd take a small nap before he went to go and visit Pogtopia later on. There wasn't much else he could do for the festival after all, most of the planning had already been done and it was only a day away. 

It was just coming up to the evening, Tommy could sneak out later tonight once everyone was asleep. He'd have plenty of time to fit in a small nap. It was just getting a little dark, dark enough so that Manberg was pretty much deserted. Schlatt and Quackity would be getting ready for dinner right about now, Tommy knew he should probably head back to join them. So he walked back to white house, keeping along the prime path as he hummed to himself quietly.

He found himself walking by the border of the trees when he heard someone whisper his name.

“Tommy.”

Tommy spun on his heel when he recognized the voice he was met with Wilbur staring at him through the darkness, leaning back against a tree he beckoned Tommy to come forward. What was it with Tubbo and Wilbur? Why were they just  _ showing up  _ out of nowhere like this? Were they just really that impatient for him to visit again? It wasn't exactly like Wilbur missed him much.

Tommy moved closer and hid behind the trees, he turned back to look at Wilbur. “What are you doing here? Wilbur if Schlatt saw you-”

Wilbur just laughed once, a shiver passed down Tommy's spine as he did, the cold unsettling laughter filled his ears. “Screw that for a moment, why haven't you been coming to see us Tommy? It's been a while since your last visit hasn't it?” His face suddenly turned deadly serious as his cold eyes pierced Tommy, he seemed… Different. A lot more so - what had happened?

“Well with the festival coming up I'd expect you would've known that I've been a bit busy.” Tommy answered quickly.

“Oh! The festival,” Wilbur clapped his hands together like a child, “I bet you're just waiting to have a fun time aren't you?”

“Well-”

“You know that almost completely slipped my mind, for a moment I forgot what I came here to talk to you about.” Wilbur chuckled, a lump formed in Tommy's throat as he watched Wilbur's frown twist into a cruel smile, “what exactly is Schlatt planning for the festival?”

Tommy swallowed hard, “uh, just… Normal festival stuff. Mainly games, he also wants me to give a speech.”

“A speech? Perfect.” Wilbur's smile only grew at his words.

“Why are you here?” Tommy gathered the courage to demand, his voice wavered ever so slightly but Wilbur didn't seem to notice, too preoccupied in his thoughts.

“Oh, of course you don't know,” Wilbur smiled at him, “you see Tommy, I came to a realization the other night, one that changed a few things.”

Tommy was scared to hear what exactly  _ had  _ changed for Wilbur. And whatever it was, he hoped it wasn't as bad as he thought it was going to be. 

“To keep it short Tommy, I've placed a stack of TNT underneath Manberg and I'm going to detonate it tomorrow, at the festival.”

Of course Tommy couldn't be that lucky… His mind froze in shock as he stated at Wilbur with fearful eyes. He really had snapped hadn't he? It had been obvious enough Wilbur's mentality hadn't been the best even before he'd left to stay in Manberg. And now, apparently the festival had been the thing that had caused Wilbur to break completely. 

But… TNT?  _ Detonate  _ Manberg? Tommy now understood just how crazy Wilbur was but he was willing to destroy the very country he'd  _ built  _ just to be free? Then what was the whole point of him being here? If Wilbur suddenly decided that everything had been hopeless then this…  _ Everything  _ Tommy had done would be for nothing. He'd done this to make Wilbur proud, to make him see that he was just as capable as Tubbo.

Now? He didn't know what he was here for… 

“What…” was all he managed to say.

“Dream's on our side, he's given me a whole stack of TNT to end this one and for all!” 

_ Dream?  _ Tommy's thoughts echoed, he knew that green bastard had been up to no good. But fueling Wilbur's insanity? Tommy hadn't expected that at all.

“What are you talking about?” Tommy croaked finally after falling silent for a few moments.

“I'm talking about blowing that motherfucker to smithereens Tommy, I've told Tubbo this - he might not be so fond of the idea but he'll understand eventually.” Every word was laced with insanity. 

Tommy had hated seeing Wilbur so broken and helpless before, now he  _ hated  _ seeing him even more so but now, as he'd been broken down piece by piece he'd become  _ mad _ . 

“Why?” Tommy asked quietly.

“Because it's stupid Tommy, all of it! Everything we did was for nothing! We can't take Schlatt down now, it's hopeless,” Wilbur hissed, “it's time to put the past behind us.”

“But it's our home you can't just—” 

“Tommy, I don't care if you're with me. I couldn't care less, but I'm blowing it all up tomorrow. You can try and stop me if you want, but it'll only prove you're nothing but a coward and a traitor.” Wilbur said harshly.

Tommy took a step back in surprise, his eyes wide with fear and shock as he stared at his brother in disbelief. What was he supposed to do? He didn't want Manberg to be blown up, he didn't want Wilbur to view him as a traitor either… So what was he supposed to do in this situation? He couldn't just let him destroy his home like that -  _ their  _ home.

“When you give this  _ speech  _ tomorrow, I'll set off the TNT. Better yet, you  _ finish  _ the speech and I'll blow it all up.”

“Wilbur you can't just-”

“What's it going to be Tommy? Me, or  _ Schlatt?”  _

“You of course but-”

“But  _ you're _ standing in my way.”

“I- you don't have to blow it all up Wilbur.” Tommy whispered.

Wilbur simply shook his head and chuckled darkly, “Tubbo already tried this, I've made my decision, now what's yours Tommy?” He asked.

He couldn't just let Wilbur blow it all up… He didn't want him to. And - what about all the people caught in the crossfire? Niki, Fundy, Eret, Quackity,  _ Schlatt?  _ He didn't know why he cared so much but despite how Schlatt had treated him before he didn't deserve  _ death. _ Wilbur's ideals were very extreme but who was he to defy them? He didn't  _ want  _ to be known as a traitor… He didn't  _ ask  _ to suddenly become so attached to Manberg. He  _ hated  _ himself so much for it.

“I- I can't stop you…” Tommy inhaled deeply, “but this doesn't mean I support your decision either.” 

“Oh in due time you'll see just how right I am in doing this.” Wilbur sighed, “I thought you'd wind up betraying us Tommy, you seemed so content here I thought you'd fight me to the death on this.”

Tommy dropped his gaze to the floor and refused to look his brother in the eyes. His eyes, which were  _ filled  _ with despair, madness and glee. Something he couldn't recognise at all… 

Because this man in front of him, this broken and deranged man -  _ wasn't _ his brother… 

“When you give your speech tomorrow, when you say the line ‘let the festival begin’ when everyone cheers and the speech ends, that's when I'll press the button. Be ready.” Wilbur told him.

Tommy just kept his gaze locked on the ground beneath him, his head was spinning and this time it wasn't because of his headaches or his horns - it was because he could barely comprehend the fact that Wilbur was really willing to go through with this without any hesitation. Without and second through to the casualties and repercussions of what he was about to do.

“I'm glad you're still on my side Tommy.” He murmured, placing a cold hand on Tommy's shoulder, he flinched but didn't move until Wilbur turned his back on his brother and stalked away through the trees, leaving a shaken and confused Tommy alone once again. He gritted his teeth and shook his head, he walked shakily back onto the prime path and headed back to the direction of the white house, suddenly feeling a lot colder than before. Maybe the festival wasn't going to be so great after all… 

* * *

Schlatt trusted Tommy.

It was something he hadn't thought he'd do, but the kid had proved to be a lot more surprising than he thought he'd be - he didn't exactly think Tommy would fit in so quickly like he did but over the course of the month he'd become a true member of his cabinet. Irreplaceable, hard working, and trustworthy. He'd made a lot of progress on the festival planning, Schlatt had yet to check out the finishing result of the games he and Fundy had worked on throughout the week but Schlatt knew he wouldn't be disappointed. Tommy was very creative.

Schlatt cared for Tommy.

It was something he hadn't intended to do but it had happened much to his surprise and confusion. He didn't think he'd grow so attached to the kid, especially when he'd sworn off  _ never  _ to get attached to anything again. But things often had a way of working out differently for Schlatt and somehow he'd found himself feeling protective of the kid and wanting to keep him close and free from any harm. It didn't exactly make sense to him, and though there was something there, always bugging him - the answer to all his questions, painfully obvious it seemed blocked and everytime he so much as thought about it he'd force himself to change his direction of thoughts.

The most obvious answer each time would be to drink it all away, it's what he'd done for years and it had always worked. And now that he was trying to  _ stop  _ all that he was finally feeling all the affects. His emotions were on the high, still - which explained why he suddenly felt so strongly about everything and why he'd acted so nice towards everyone lately. Alcholhol  _ made  _ you a shitty person - and quitting would definitely fuck up your views on life and instead bring new ones.

Schlatt didn't know what he wanted yet. Manberg and his cabinet were enough. Things could stay this way, he could keep the peace for a long time. All he had to do was try as hard as he could to be better and do better both as a person and as a president. It seemed pretty easy, but after years of drinking, of being such a  _ dick  _ to everyone he met that was going to take a lot of effort. Especially after his emotions and thoughts died down and he was left to do it on his own.

The festival had clearly been one of the best ideas he'd had for Manberg, and he could tell, despite his exhaustion Quackity was having a great time planning it. He was doing a really good job too, everything looked perfect. Now all Quackity needed was some well deserved rest before tomorrow and they would get everything started. Speaking of which, he'd had to get all the invites out. Most people knew, the ones who had attended his announcement most specifically. But the people who lived further away from the borders of Manberg in the Dream SMP hadn't. 

Admittedly he'd gotten a little tired and asked Fundy for some help and sent him to deliver most of the invites, all he had left to do were the few odd ones, he'd invite George and Sapnap to see if they wanted to come - yet knowing George he probably wouldn't show up. And there was also Tubbo to think about. He'd promised Tommy he'd invite him to spend the day in Manberg and he wanted to stay true to that promise.

He'd been holed up in his office for so long Schlatt needed to get out for some air, do that's exactly what he did. It was just getting dark and Manberg was deserted. All the better for him since he really needed to clear his head. Those consistent thoughts had been troubling him again and he was on the edge of caving in and having a few whiskey's. He'd been drinking less, only having a few whenever he  _ really  _ needed to under Quackity's watchful eye. But when the latter was currently passed out in bed what was he supposed to do but go for a walk?

It was quiet, it helped a lot. It certainly eased the amount of stress he was feeling about tomorrow that was for sure. He'd been out walking for a while so he decided to turn back. He lifted his chin up as a breeze drifted by, yeah - this was what he liked. He could always enjoy evenings like these.

He was snapped out of his blissful daze when he heard a quiet voice in the distance. He paused, looking in the direction in which the voice had come from and squinted, was Fundy out late or something? He snorted quietly, talking to himself maybe. He decided to move closer, if it was Fundy he wouldn't miss the chance to mess around with him.

He hid himself in the bushes when he spotted two figures near the trees. He leaned in slightly to try and get a closer look but it was already darker than it had been before and he couldn't make out the figures faces. All he knew was that neither of them looked like Fundy… 

Then the taller figure spoke, and when he did, Schlatt was sure his whole word just came crashing down before him.

“I'm glad you're still on my side Tommy.”

Wilbur Soot. The ex-president of  _ his  _ country. Talking to…

Schlatt's heart dropped.

He didn't stick around to watch any longer and without a noise he turned his back on the kid he'd just started to put all his trust in and walked the short way back towards the white house. He made his way inside and closed himself in his office, slamming the door behind him. His hands gripped his desk tightly as he shook his head, almost wishing he'd imagined it. 

But there was no way he was dreaming right now.

He knew he shouldn't have trusted Tommy. Despite after  _ everything _ Schlatt had done for him the kid had been a fucking traitor working for his bitch of a brother all this time. Schlatt gritted his teeth in anger as he slammed his first on the desk, ignoring how much it hurt.

Forget being nice, forget emotions, forget this festival - and Tommy could certainly forget seeing Tubbo tomorrow, judging by what he'd just discovered he'd seen him  _ plenty _ .

Most of all, forget quitting. He  _ deserved  _ a good binge drink after what he'd just found out. This was the final straw - he'd been fucked over enough in his life, he didn't need it from the one kid who he'd finally started to admit he at least cared about just a little. 

No he didn't care, not anymore. 

~~ At least that's what he told himself anyway. ~~

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And here, is officially, where everything goes downhill :)


	28. The Festival

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What else can I say? It's the Manberg festival.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are in for a treat though this things like over 4k words and I went through hell to write it skshskshsks  
> I hope you enjoy :)

The morning of the festival was not a calm one, Quackity had woken up gone into full blown panic mode. Tommy simply watched as his friend dashed around frantically, making sure everything was perfect, checking and rechecking - Tommy had never seen him so stressed. Honestly it was rather hilarious, it was only a festival after all. So while Quackity snapped at Fundy and him for the majority of that morning Tommy started getting ready for the festival, he'd been able to escape Quackity's wrath and hide in his room where he dressed into his suit, fixed up his tie - he remembered what Schlatt had told him - and grabbed his beanie off the table.

He paused to look in the mirror once more, running his fingers over his small horns, _still_ Quackity had no word of what they could possibly be from, and at this point Tommy was losing all hope of ever finding out. He gingerly touched the tip of his ears where the white fluff had developed further and started to change the shape of his ears. He closed his eyes momentarily and shook his head, he slowly reached for the beanie and pulled it over his head, making sure it completely covered his ears. Luckily for him it was big enough to do so.

He placed around his room for a while after that, too preoccupied by his meeting with Wilbur last night to be excited about the festival any longer. He'd thought his brother had merely been joking at first when he'd told Tommy his true motivations, but unfortunately it seemed Wilbur had lost all sense of humor. The insanity and glee in his eyes at the mention of detonating the place was clear enough and Tommy couldn't shake it from his mind. Wilbur was unstable, he'd known that for a while now, but it seemed the night of the announcement he'd completely broken.

Wilbur was dangerous. Dangerous yet Tommy still trusted him and stood by his side and for what? For Wilbur to disregard everything he was working towards here and blow it all up? Just because _he'd_ lost all hope didn't mean everyone else had. He was completely mad - he could only imagine how Tubbo must feel. Tubbo. He'd entirely forget to mention that to Wilbur yesterday, he'd been so caught up in his shock that he hadn't had time. Come to mention it, Schlatt hadn't said anything about it either. He was the one sending out the invites after all. Tommy shrugged it off quickly, he probably already had. It was no big deal anyway.

Speaking of Schlatt, the latter had been locked away in his office all morning and hadn't even bothered to join him and Quackity for breakfast. Though Tommy could understand why, it was the big day after all, he'd probably be preparing his speech. _Oh shit_ \- now that Tommy remembered he still needed to rehearse _his_ speech for the festival. He'd written it down, it had taken him most of the night and after a few failed attempts he was sure he'd finally gotten somewhere. He'd fallen asleep soon after finishing it.

But anytime he so much as thought about the speech he'd be reminded of what would come after. _Let the festival begin…_ All he had to say was those four words and his home would be gone forever. How many people would get hurt? Niki, Eret, Quackity, hell even Bad! None of them deserved such a gruesome death. And Schlatt… He didn't deserve it either. As much as he had _wanted_ to kill Schlatt when he'd first taken over the nation he'd stayed in Manberg long enough to see a different side to him. And now… He was going to sever Schlatt's trust just like that.

The guilt had gotten so much that he'd even debated _telling_ him. He was torn, he had to choose between two sides. His brother, his best friend, his family - or the people who had only just started to feel like _another_ kind of family. He could fix this whole mess, maybe get Schlatt to revoke Tubbo's exile and reinstate his citizenship… Alas, to Tommy, that was nothing but a hopeless dream. He couldn't leave Wilbur's side now when he'd stuck by him for so long. He didn't want… He didn't want to be a _traitor._

But he already was. Either way, no matter what side he chose, he would be a traitor regardless.

When noon came around that day, and Tommy's heart rate picked up as the crowds had started to gather, he'd decided to distract himself from his guilt ridden thoughts and mingle a bit. Niki would be here, he'd talk to her until Schlatt came out of his office and declared the start of the festival. As he walked outside he noticed Quackity already in conversation with Fundy and Jack.

He didn't hear exactly what they were discussing but Quackity seemed to laugh at something Jack had said. Bad, Ant and Skeppy were standing together near the games he'd set up, Bad noticed him and gave him a friendly wave. Guilty about the fact that either one of them could _die_ because of Wilbur's crazy plan he gave a halfhearted wave and scurried away. Maybe mingling hadn't been such a good idea after all, this was only making him feel worse.

In his hurry to leave he walked into somebody, he looked up to meet the eyes of Niki who was smiling at him warmly as she apologized quickly. 

“Hey Tommy, why do you look so worried? Is everything okay?” She asked, concern flashed in her eyes.

Tommy was almost about to confess to her, tell her everything that he'd been hiding when he saw someone else heading towards them. It was none other than Eret, adorning a long fuschia dress with small red patterns which Tommy immediately recognized as strawberries dotted around it. He grinned at the two and Niki just rolled her eyes playfully.

“So you just decided to show off huh?” Niki folded her arms, pretending to be angry.

Eret laughed, “you're just mad you can't pull off a dress as nice as this.” He teased. Tommy's lips twitched upwards into a smile as the two fell into an easy conversation. He didn't want to be a burden for feeling low when everyone seemed so happy so he headed off in a different direction. He stopped near a wall and leaned against it, he fiddled with his tie nervously.

“Hey you alright?” 

He looked up to see Quackity walking towards him, he'd left Fundy and Jack to do their own thing. Tommy didn't look up to meet his gaze, afraid that doing much as looking at someone he'd give it away in an instant. So he kept his eyes on the floor as he nodded shakily. After all this, would _Quackity_ still be alive?

“Just… Worried about the speech I guess.” Technically it wasn't a lie. Though he wasn't afraid of standing up there and giving the speech as intended he was more worried about what his final words would bring. And though he wished he could tell Quackity everything he just… _Couldn't._

It was all so hopeless… 

“You'll do fine!” Quackity assured him, “this festival is going to be amazing!” 

“Yeah…” Tommy hummed.

“Hey I mean it, I'll be fine. Don't worry so much! I'll be back in a bit okay? I'm going to check in on Schlatt.” And before Tommy could even respond Quackity was already jogging off towards the white house. Tommy frowned slightly. No, it wasn't going to be all fine - it was going to be horrible because he… Because Wilbur had gone insane and decided to put _everyone_ in harm's way just for the sake of getting rid of something he'd lost because he couldn't admit defeat.

He scanned the crowd of people in the center of Manberg, still no sign of Tubbo. Though, Tommy wouldn't be surprised if Wilbur hadn't let him come. He'd certainly seemed very paranoid last night when he'd confronted Tommy about why he'd visited less and less over the past few days he'd probably want to keep whoever he could we close as possible. It was stupid, but with Wilbur's cracked mental state… He'd do _anything_ to keep his family close to him, because he didn't want to be alone.

But he was destroying the nation he'd built in order to run away from his failure, his problems _instead_ of facing them or attempting to get back what he'd lost. That's what Tommy had come here for in the first place, it had been one of the main reasons why he'd taken Schlatt's offer. Because he wanted to help his brother get his nation back, his presidency back. And Wilbur had spiraled so deep into his delusions of madness that Tommy had been too late to help.

What good was he, if he couldn't even help his family?

He wrapped his arms around his chest as the cold settled around him, it wasn't exactly cold - it was a nice warm day. But to Tommy, the air around him felt as cold as ever and he could escape it. The speech was all he could think about, along with Wilbur's bone chilling laugher and manic gaze he couldn't escape it. His head was filled with the sounds of muffled explosions as the thought of TNT reached his mind, he remembered when Dream had rigged L'Manberg with TNT the first time during their fight for independence - the screams of his friends as they watched their nation be destroyed before their eyes and Dream's cackling laughter as he'd watched with glee.

Tommy squeezed his eyes shut tightly as his mind twisted the memory into a different thought, and instead of L'Manberg it was Manberg - Schlatt, Quackity, Fundy and everyone else screaming in horror as explosions filled their ears, Wilbur stood at the top of the hill, watching it happen with a mad gleam in his eyes and his lips curled into satisfied smile. Tommy shook his head furiously, _no,_ it couldn't happen like this… There had to be some way he could stop his brother before it happened.

“Well someone certainly looks cheerful.” A voice commended from beside him, Tommy looked up only to be met with _Techno's_ sharp eyes on his own, Tommy had to stop himself from shrieking as he breathed in quickly, trying to get his pulse back to a normal rhythm. Techno noticed this and laughed dryly.

“What the fuck are you doing here?” He asked, half angry that he'd been so easily scared, and half surprised. What _was_ Technoblade doing here? Was this some other part of Wilbur's plan to destroy Manberg?

“No, ‘good to see you again’ or ‘it's been a long time’? Really? It's been a month, I thought you would've been at least the slightest bit happier to see me.” Techno snorted.

Tommy shuffled his feet nervously when he remembered his last conversation with his brother, “why are you here?” 

“I was invited to the festival. Why else would I be here?” Techno replied evenly. Tommy gave him a confused glance.

“Invited? Was Tubbo invited too?” He asked quickly, hoping that his friend was somewhere close nearby.

Techno looked at him for a moment, “no? Why would he be? You were there for Schlatt's announcement too weren't you?”

 _Why would Schlatt lie?_ Tommy thought to himself. He'd told him he was going to send out an invite to everyone _including_ Tubbo. He'd promised Tommy he'd one day see his friend, it had been one of the reasons Tommy had been as excited as he'd previously been for the festival in the first place. Though, maybe it was for the better. After all, when his speech came… Everything would be gone.

“No reason. I was just… Forget it.” Tommy muttered as he turned his head gaze back onto the floor. He wondered how Tubbo was coping right now with Wilbur.

“I expect Wilbur told you what's gonna happen?” Techno asked quietly.

“Yeah. He did.” Tommy said bitterly.

“It's not as bad as it sounds-” Techno began before Tommy cut him off quickly.

“Not as bad as it sounds?” He repeated, “Techno, he's going to blow _everything_ up! He's fuckin' lost it, for real now.”

“It's not his fault.” 

“It is, he wouldn't let anyone help him in the first place.”

It went silent for a while after that, Techno stood beside Tommy, tapping his foot on the floor rhythmically while Tommy simply stared at the crowds of people before him. The festival hadn't even started and already everyone was having fun. _They won't be for much longer…_

“Why are you wearing this lame hat?” Techno questioned, from the corner of his eye he saw the hybrid lift up hand to grab the beanie - he instinctively moved away. Tugging back down at the edges of the beanie to cover his head self-consciously. Techno looked at him again, this time he looked… Worried.

“I like wearing it.” Tommy snapped back. Techno continued to stare at him for a couple more seconds before he averted his gaze and looked elsewhere. He seemed lost in thought. For a moment, Tommy wondered why his other brother was _really_ here. If everything didn't go as planned was Wilbur expecting Techno to massacre the entire city? Even for him that seemed a little too extreme. Sure Techno could lose control of himself sometimes, Tommy supposed it was in his hybrid nature - but even going as far as killing an entire nation seemed a little too far for Technoblade.

Hybrid's. If there was anyone who knew about hybrid's more than anyone here it was sure to be Techno! But Tommy couldn't show Techno his horns or his ears… He could tell Wilbur and then he'd wind up being disowned or _worse_ because he had features like… 

He sighed, “lets just, make the most of it I guess.” And he left to stand in the middle of the crowd once more, Fundy smiled at him as he quickly dragged him into a conversation with him. Tommy barely listened to him though, too preoccupied by the looming threat of the true meaning of the festival. Soon after Fundy left to try out some of the games they'd set up together and Tommy watched sadly. Everyone seemed so happy…

His thoughts were interrupted when his eyes caught Wilbur standing on a building nearby, Wilbur met Tommy's eyes and waved him over. _Great…_ He looked back to Techno who was now hovering near Niki and Eret and grimaced slightly before he made his way up the building Wilbur was on and climbed up the stairs slowly.

His eyes flickered to Tubbo who was beside him, his gaze fearful but with slight hope mixed in. Tommy then looked to Wilbur who's expression was torn, his eyes tortured. Tommy hesitated before coming closer, looking around to make sure nobody saw him come up here. Thankfully, everyone was too focused on all the festivities going on.

“Hey Tommy.” Wilbur said, his voice as broken and hoarse as ever, probably from shouting too much. 

“What's going on?” Tommy asked, knowing full well what Wilbur might say - ask him about his speech and remind him of what to say… As much as he didn't want to do it he didn't want his brother to hate him either.

“Tommy you know the…” Wilbur began, then he exhaled sharply, “Tommy I'm having second thoughts.”

Tommy's eyes widened, second thoughts? Had he finally seen just how _wrong_ his plan was? Had he finally seen that no one had to suffer because of this? Excitement welled up inside Tommy before he pushed it down, he still hasn't explained yet - and Tommy didn't know if he'd change his mind. Or if it was all just a trick because he _knew_ Tommy wasn't willing to do this.

“Tommy when's your speech?” Wilbur asked quickly.

Tommy searched his brain for an answer, there wasn't exactly a specific time but he knew Schlatt would be out on the podium very shortly, “maybe in about ten minuets or so.” He replied.

Wilbur muttered something to himself quietly that Tommy couldn't hear, but he seemed lost deep in thought when he suddenly snapped his head up to look at Tommy with that same tortured look in his eyes, “Tommy is he a good leader?” 

Tommy looked at him in surprise, “Schlatt?” 

“Just honestly please, what you think, don't act like you're just handing out information just say your opinions honestly.” 

Tommy swallowed hard. _Was_ Schlatt a good leader? Well, he hadn't started an unnecessary war… He'd genuinely started to care for the residents of Manberg and the rest of his cabinet… And if Tommy really was being honest here, Schlatt wasn't exactly a bad guy. 

“He's… Made some good improvements. He does have some strange ideals at times but I think - he seems to have changed quite a bit.” Tommy blurted out.

Wilbur looked away to Tubbo who just kept his eyes on the floor, he then looked back at Tommy, opening his mouth to say something before he clamped it shut and continued his pacing once again.

“Tommy are you happier?” Came Tubbo's quiet voice from beside Wilbur, Tommy stared at his friend for a couple of seconds before he sighed and looked at his hands.

“Not as much as I was when you guys were around…” He whispered. He was happy here… But he also missed Tubbo a lot. Life without his best friend was hard. And he didn't mean he was happier in Pogtopia, because he really wasn't - he was _happier_ when they were all together when they'd first started out. No wars, no arguments, no TNT or elections…

“Do you think Schlatt would give up if we blew this entire place up?” Wilbur asked.

“He's changed a lot but he's still stubborn. He wouldn't give up even _if_ this place was just a crater. He'd just keep rebuilding.” Tommy told him. Because Schlatt wasn't a quitter, unlike a certain someone who'd lost it all and proposed to blow it up… 

“And do you think we should blow it up?” Tubbo spoke up, his voice louder this time.

“Of course not.”

Wilbur went quiet for a couple of seconds before all three of them looked up to the sky were fireworks scattered and exploded before them, Tommy watched in awe before his gaze snapped to the podium where Quackity had appeared with Schlatt at his side, they were in a deep conversation so luckily they didn't seem to notice his absence.

“I need to go give that speech now.” Tommy whispered.

“Tommy…” Tubbo said quietly. Tommy looked back to meet his friend's worried gaze, “be safe.”

Tommy smiled weakly, “I will, big man.”

Wilbur sighed and turned to face him, “Tommy - Tommy listen I'm giving you the ignition here… If you say the line I'll…” Wilbur stopped short, “just… Don't worry.”

Tommy nodded shakily before he headed back down and walked into the crowd where he was concealed once again, he looked up to the podium where Quackity was urging him over and with his thoughts all jumbled up he made his way up the podium to stand on Schlatt's other side. Quackity was chattering excitedly about how well the festival was going, Tommy watched as Schlatt continued to stare out into the crowd, his eyes sad. Tommy wondered why. Shouldn't he be happy everything was going smoothly so far?

Schlatt glanced at him, an unreadable expression flasher across his face before he cleared his throat to get everyone's attention and leaned into the mic.

“Thank you all for coming to the festival of Manberg. I'm sure everybody's having a great time so far I can assume.” Schlatt began, “but hey, this speech isn't supposed to be given by me, here I am about to take all the credit. No, none of this would've been possible without Tommy.” 

Tommy felt everyone's eyes turn on him at Schlatt's words, he shifted slightly, putting his gaze ahead. 

“He's been working hard since he first joined my cabinet and it shows, the kid barely slept for a week once. And he's been doing all this stuff for Manberg, I truly believe we wouldn't be where we are today if it weren't for him.” 

He felt Schlatt's gaze on him, he turned to look the other man on the eyes and smiled faintly, “thank you.” He said, it would be rude not to say anything. Schlatt smiled back, though it seemed forced and held his gaze for a couple of moments before he went on.

“I mean that Tommy, I really do think of you as my right hand man.” Schlatt told him earnestly, Tommy looked at his feet again, feeling immensely guilty.

“So, without further ado, I'll put big man Tommy - my right hand man, my _protege_ up here so say his part!”

The crowd below them started clapping as Schlatt shifted in the chair and moved to give Tommy space, next to him Quackity cheered and applauded loudly. 

Tommy stood before them and inhaled deeply, shaking off his anxiety, “when I first took the offer to join Manberg, I did it to escape. Not to help the country or anyone else for that matter, I just wanted to have peace for once.” He took another quick breath, “and I've been allowed that peace. You can see all the good Schlatt's done for this country just by realising there haven't been any big wars or casualties or anything like that, we're free.” Schlatt had done a lot for this country, he couldn't deny that. He paused for a moment before going on, “isn't that what this festival is about? Our freedom? And I believe that too, because I'm free, _we're_ free to do whatever we want, elect whoever we want and go anywhere we want without being confined inside any walls.” 

Tommy straightened himself up and swept his gaze across the silent crowd, “and I genuinely believe Schlatt has made this nation better, and I'd like to thank everyone for coming to this event to celebrate with us…” he trailed off when he heard Schlatt's quietly chuckling beside him, “what's wrong Schlatt?”

“No it's…” Schlatt chuckled breathlessly, “it's funny you say that Tommy…” his expression shifted, anxiety welled up in Tommy's chest as Schlatt looked up at him, “is there anything else in the speech?”

Of course Schlatt would know. How could he have been so stupid. The line was one of the things Schlatt had put in himself and he'd notice if Tommy left it out…

“Uh, just - let the festival begin!”

_Shit._

“You're done with the speech?”

“Yeah…”

Schlatt nodded slowly, he looked the crowd, then at Tommy, his face completely unreadable as he reached with his hand and pulled on a rope that Tommy just noticed beside the chair - and before Tommy knew it a brightly coloured, yellow concrete box fell down on top of him, trapping him in that spot. His heartrate picked up as he pressed against each side of the wall and stared wide eyed at Schlatt who was glaring at him. _What's going on? What is he doing?_

“What are you doing?” He heard Niki cry out from below the podium. Quackity looked from Schlatt to Tommy, he was just as surprised as everyone else.

“Tommy I'll cut to the fucking chase alright?” Schlatt snapped. Tommy continued to stare in shock, suddenly it felt like he was facing the old Schlatt again. Not the Schlatt who had patted him on the back and praised him for his work, not the Schlatt who had grown to trust him, definitely not the Schlatt that he himself had grown to like - no, this was _president_ Schlatt. 

“You know it sucks for me to say this in front of everybody it really does, it's kinda awkward actually.”

“Schlatt… I can't… Get out.” Tommy whimpered, he felt pathetic, but he _hated_ confined spaces; he hated them. It always reminded him of the final control room… His breathing sped up even quicker at the very thought.

“Tommy,” Schlatt moved closer towards him, “I know what you've been up to.”

_Shit. No… No, no, no, no - How?_

“W-What…?”

“Don't act like you don't know Tommy! You've been _conspiring with_ those fucking - those _tyrants_ that we kicked out of this nation months ago.” Schlatt yelled, his eyes full of anger and bitterness as he glared at him. 

Schlatt sighed heavily and calmed himself a little, he spoke again, his voice quieter than before, “Tommy, I don't know if you know this, but treason - isn't exactly a respectable thing around here.” He told him, his tone dark.

 _Treason._ Tommy's heart hammered in his chest. The box - it made sense. _He's going to fucking kill me…_ He thought, he backed up against the back of the wall, his hands trembled. This time he didn't even care if he looked pitiful and afraid… He couldn't even bring himself together. He _hated_ being trapped.

“I heard you Tommy, I saw you talking to that fucking tyrant Wilbur Soot! Don't try and tell me you've done nothing wrong.” 

He was such a fucking idiot… 

“I saw with my own to fucking eyes what you've been doing!” Schlatt spat, then he paused and regarded Tommy carefully, “you know what happens to traitors, Tommy?”

Oh he knew. He knew very well what happened to traitors… 

Schlatt's eyes tightened, “let me tell you, _nothing good_.”

Tommy pressed himself further back against the concrete, panic overtook him. Fuck it was getting hard to breathe. _Please get me out, please - please let me out…_

“Technoblade, you wanna come up here for a second?”

Tommy snapped his head up when Schlatt called his brother over. What was he getting Techno for? _Why_ did he need Techno? He watched as Techno came up to the top of the podium and faced Schlatt, frowning slightly.

“What is it, Mr. President?”

Then Tommy understood. 

He was going to get Techno to kill him.

“Technoblade please, if you would…”

Schlatt continued to study Techno, his eyes narrowed intently. Tommy watched in horror, was Techno _really_ going to kill him? Schlatt's expression suddenly faltered for a second as his eyes met Tommy's own fearful ones and he tore his gaze away.

“Technoblade… If you would be so kind…”

Tommy closed his eyes shut tightly.

“Please escort this traitor to a cell.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys thought Schlatt was going to order Techno to kill Tommy?
> 
> I've been planning this part for ages.  
> Originally he was supposed to yes, and Tommy was going to be gravely injured because fuck the three canon lives thing here, you die once and that's it. Hardcore mode.  
> But that was before I added in hybrid lore  
> What's the one thing Schlatt wants to prevent most of all when it comes to Tommy? :)
> 
> But anyways I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, the next one is going to be VERY interesting too so stay tuned for that!!!  
> Also thank you so much for 1000+ kudos  
> I literally cannot thank you guys enough but it means a lot to me that so many people like this <333
> 
> ~~~
> 
> Hey there! Uh if you're enjoying the fic and you ever wanna scream to me about it on tumblr, please feel free to! :)  
> [I'm sorry for the self promotion you can ignore this if you want to but here are some other places you can find me on jsdhfjshfs]
> 
> https://darealtrashnoodle.tumblr.com/  
> https://twitter.com/_trashnoodle_
> 
> Official spotify playlist: [I will be updating this frequently with new songs that I feel fit the vibes of the fic]
> 
> https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7JQ3cflPg1jNPcdb6rXPue?si=0H8U4zwqRRuaLKc7ZPgHFA&utm_source=copy-link


	29. The Realization

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was an idiot for not seeing it to begin with.

Schlatt shouldn't have been too surprised that Tommy had turned out to be a traitor, in fact, maybe deep down he'd known the truth. This was Tommy after all. The kid - who when he'd first met him had been insanely loyal to Wilbur and _L'Manberg_ and had glared at Schlatt with pure hatred in his eyes when he'd exiled him. He should've known there was something suspicious with him as soon as he'd ‘accepted’ his offer in the first place. Tommy wouldn't have done that without a reason to. Schlatt should've expected that the reason was because he was never on his side to begin with. 

He shouldn't have been at all surprised. And he certainly shouldn't have been _hurt_ by his betrayal either. Because despite insisting he'd always keep a close eye on Tommy and _never_ trust him - he'd done just that because he'd started to see past Tommy's irritating personality and grown to actually _care_ for the kid. It's not like Wilbur did anyway, yet Tommy blindly followed his lead wherever he went. Perhaps it had been Wilbur's plan for Tommy to infiltrate Manberg too. 

Schlatt didn't come out of his office for a while after that, not long after he'd come back inside he'd heard Tommy _sneak_ back in like he thought no one heard or saw him. Schlatt had almost left to confront him about it right there but he'd stopped himself. Now wasn't the time - he had tomorrow to plan.

The festival… 

Maybe he shouldn't have announced it at all. What was the point when there was nothing to celebrate? 

The only thing Schlatt could celebrate was getting rid of a traitor when he eventually confronted Tommy about it. Unless… This festival could have a whole new meaning. He'd previously intended it to be for Manberg, for the people, for the very democracy that had helped put him in power and his ‘loyal’ cabinet that had helped him through so much. But it didn't _just_ have to be that. This festival was supposed to be about Manberg, so why not make it about getting rid of the _traitor_ in Manberg. And thus he had an idea.

He'd expose Tommy as the traitor in front of _everyone_ at the festival. It was foolproof. All he had to do was keep Tommy still - _trapped_ even so that he couldn't think of getting away from his punishment. His punishment… What could _that_ be? Schlatt wasn't too sure yet, but for treason? Oh there was a high price to pay for treason. But… Would he really… Go that far? With the anger sweeping through his veins Schlatt was blind to any reasoning right now, all he had to do was make sure Tommy couldn't avoid confrontation. A cage… A box, maybe? Simple to make, and he already had a few ideas

All he needed to do, was teach the kid a lesson. So that evening he started working on a foolproof trap that was sure to work. And if Wilbur was watching the festival from afar, he could watch as his little spy was revealed in front of the entire country.

So Schlatt got to work on that as soon as he could - it took him at least a few good hours and a lot of focus - focus which he lacked since his brain was still going haywire from processing all this information. This was why he hated being sober. After a couple of hours and sun was completely done Schlatt decided to call it a day as he made his way back to his room and passed out shortly afterwards, all without having so much as a drop of alcohol, which was really rather surprising since he'd been dying for some all afternoon.

He'd woken a lot early than intended, which was a struggle, since he had a lot of time before the festival itself started and with his head pounding and Tommy's betrayal still caught in his mind his emotions were spiralling out of control and more than ever he wanted a drink to make himself entirely numb so that he couldn't even feel it anymore. But he had to stay sober for the festival, and for Quackity - but why did that matter? Why should he trust _anyone_ when the kid he'd started to trust most had betrayed him like he wasn't worth shit?

In order to distract himself he went to pacing on his office, making sure he looked presentable and less of a wreck than he appeared - he'd tried to create a better image for himself - _fuck,_ he'd even tried to become a better person. And where had that landed him? In a pit of clashing emotions and despair that the kid he'd started to care for was never on his side in the first place. This was why he shouldn't trust anyone. In the end they'd all wind up leaving him; he just knew it.

Why try to be better, when it hadn't even been worth it in the first place?

He peeked out of his office window as the sun rose higher and higher in the sky, a small crowd had started to form consisting of Bad, Skeppy, Sam and Antfrost - they were looking around in awe at the decorations neatly laid out around them. He noticed Bad point eagerly towards one of the games they'd put in place and dragged Skeppy along with him towards it, Antfrost followed slowly. Schlatt closed the blinds and sunk back down in his chair, he tapped his foot against the floor, trying his best to ignore just how much he wanted to give in to the urge and grab himself a bottle or two of whiskey from the kitchen.

This was _the_ festival, he couldn't be drunk for it. And if he was looking to confront Tommy about his traitorous acts he'd have to be able to think properly while he did so. It took him a lot of effort but he managed to distract himself with reading until he noticed the sun begin to set in the sky, signalling the time for his and Tommy's speeches and for the festival to _truly_ begin. When he next took a brief glance out of the window there were a _lot_ more people down there. More noticeably Niki, Eret Fundy and - _Technoblade_ had accepted his invitation? Schlatt knew he'd been in the area but he didn't think he'd accept the invitation to come to the festival.

For a moment he froze. Wilbur and Technoblade… There was no way… It _had_ to be a coincidence. It couldn't be— 

“Hey Schlatt, you ready?” Quackity's sudden voice snapped him out of his thoughts as Schlatt whirled round for saving the window to stare at him. His vice-president looked positively cheerful about the festival, Schlatt felt sorry for him - it wouldn't exactly be much of a celebration when Quackity discovered his ‘friend’ was nothing more than a traitor. 

Schlatt simply nodded and followed Quackity out of his office. This was it, the very thing he'd been dreading most yet he had to do it. He couldn't allow Manberg to fall due to traitors in its midst, in order to have a strong, working nation he first had to cleanse it of _any_ threats posed towards it. Even Tommy.

He ignored the feeling in the pit of his stomach and walked out onto the podium, his eyes flickered over the crowd as he spotted Tommy among them, looking rather lost and from the corner of his vision he spotted Quackity waving the kid over. Schlatt glanced at the string hanging down beside the chair briefly as Tommy walked up towards them, standing at Schlatt's other side before he set his gaze on the people below him instead. He cleared his throat and spoke out loudly.

“Thank you all for coming to the festival of Manberg. I'm sure everybody's having a great time so far I can assume.” Well, not exactly everyone, but alas this wasn't about him, he needed to through this already, “but hey, this speech isn't supposed to be given by me, here I am about to take all the credit. No, none of this would've been possible without Tommy.” 

He noticed Tommy tense up beside him but he carried on talking as the crowd had completely fallen silent by now, listening intently to his words.

“He's been working hard since he first joined my cabinet and it shows, the kid barely slept for a week once. And he's been doing all this stuff for Manberg, I truly believe we wouldn't be where we are today if it weren't for him.” 

He turned to look at Tommy, forcing a tight smile, the kid looked genuinely grateful for his words and Schlatt tried to ignore his sympathy for the kid when he murmured a quiet, “thank you.” In response.

“I mean that Tommy, I really do think of you as my right hand man.” Schlatt told him, his eyes landed on Tommy once again as the traitor looked down at his feet, his expression torn. Schlatt stopped himself from yelling right there - what, was he _guilty_ now?

“So, without further ado, I'll put big man Tommy - my right hand man, my _protege_ up here so say his part!” The people below started applauding loudly and beside him Quackity cheered. Schlatt moved to make room for Tommy at the foot of the microphone and cast his gaze down once more as he listened to Tommy's speech 

He saw Tommy shudder once, before he started, “when I first took the offer to join Manberg, I did it to escape. Not to help the country or anyone else for that matter, I just wanted to have peace for once.”

 _You're not helping anyone other than that shithead, Wilbur. Schlatt_ forced himself to keep his eyes focused, he clenched his fists a little before forcing himself to relax.

“And I've been allowed that peace. You can see all the good Schlatt's done for this country just by realising there haven't been any big wars or casualties or anything like that, we're free.” Schlatt gritted his teeth, the kid was a good liar. But he wasn't going to fool him again.

“Isn't that what this festival is about? Our freedom? And I believe that too, because I'm free, _we're_ free to do whatever we want, elect whoever we want and go anywhere we want without being confined inside any walls.” 

It was rather ironic he talked about not being confined inside walls when what Schlatt had planned involved just that. He smiled slightly not realising he'd begun to laugh quietly.

“And I genuinely believe Schlatt has made this nation better, and I'd like to thank everyone for coming to this event to celebrate with us…” he trailed off to look at Schlatt, his gaze confused, “what's wrong Schlatt?”

“No it's…” Schlatt chuckled breathlessly, “it's funny you say that Tommy…” his expression shifted, it was about time to get this whole thing done already, “is there anything else in the speech?” He asked.

Tommy looked a little hesitant to speak before he declared into the mic, “uh, just - let the festival begin!”

Schlatt smiled again, “you're done with the speech?”

“Yeah…” Tommy replied quickly, still looking rather worried. _So he should be._

Schlatt just nodded, he looked at the crowd, then back at Tommy, his face as he reached with his hand and pulled on the rope and in a matter of seconds the box had fallen down on him, Tommy's eyes stretched wide as he stumbled backwards in surprise and was caught inside the box. Schlatt strode forward so that he could look at the kid, his hands outstretched against each side of the wall, his expression was panicked.

“What are you doing?” Niki cried out from below the podium. Schlatt barely noticed staring at him with both confusion and concern lighting up his features.

“Tommy I'll cut to the fucking chase alright?” Schlatt placed around the box, his eyes narrowed darkly, “y'know it sucks for me to say this in front of everybody it really does, it's kinda awkward actually.”

“Schlatt… I can't… Get out.” Tommy whimpered, he noticed his breathing was faster and his eyes were filled with fear, Schlatt pushed down the sympathy he felt for the kid and all his emotions except for the bitter _anger_ he felt towards him. 

“Tommy,” Schlatt stepped closer towards him, “I know what you've been up to.”

Tommy's eyes blew wider than before.

“W-What…?”

“Don't act like you don't know Tommy! You've been _conspiring_ with those fucking - those _tyrants_ that we kicked out of this nation months ago.” Schlatt roared.

Tommy flinched slightly but remained silent. Schlatt sighed deeply and forced himself to calm down a little, he spoke again, making his voice a lot quieter than before, “Tommy, I don't know if you know this, but treason - isn't exactly a respectable thing around here.”

He saw Tommy's panic-stricken eyes light up with understanding at his words as he backed up closer against the back of the box, his whole body seemed to tremble. Schlatt pretended not to notice this and went on, “I heard you Tommy, I saw you talking to that fucking tyrant Wilbur Soot! Don't try and tell me you've done nothing wrong.” 

He was such a fool for trusting him in the first place.

“I saw with my own two fucking eyes what you've been doing!” Schlatt hissed, then he paused, and he regarded Tommy carefully, “you know what happens to traitors, Tommy?” He inquired softly.

His eyes tightened, “let me tell you, _nothing good_.”

Tommy pressed himself further back against the concrete box, looking more and more terrified by the second.

“Technoblade, you wanna come up here for a second?” Schlatt called out. There was only one thing left to do.

_Cleanse Manberg of any threats._

He saw Tommy's eyes flash with recognition at the mention of Technoblade's name, like he knew him personally - Schlatt paused, ignoring how his mind shouted things at him. He watched as Techno walked up the podium hesitantly and stopped opposite him, looking anxious.

“What is it, Mr. President?” The hybrid asked.

“Technoblade please, if you would…” Schlatt began, his eyes snapped towards Tommy - his face fell as he finally took in the kids _true_ expression. Complete and utter panic, his eyes almost bloodshot as he pressed himself back against the concrete wall as far away from him as possible, his breathing causing his chest to rise and fall quicker than it should be - his eyes full of fear, regret, and understanding of his situation. 

Understanding that he was going to die, and he looked like he was ready to accept it. The words had been on the tip of Schlatt's tongue yet now, let alone earlier he hadn't even dared himself to say it. He _couldn't_ say it. And that feeling in his chest was burning now. The urge to _protect_ the kid he'd been planning to _kill_ and his own crushing guilt was stopping him from doing just that. 

“Technoblade… If you would be so kind…”

He watched Tommy squeeze his eyes shut tightly and his anger suddenly vanished. He looked over to the side as he sighed and finally added, “please escort this traitor to a cell.” And he pulled the rope once more, the box lifted off him, but the latter didn't move from his spot where he stood frozen in fear.

Technoblade looked relieved and Tommy looked shocked, he still looked completely on edge. Schlatt didn't even bother to meet the kids gaze as he leaned into the mic once more and muttered, “the festivals over.” He didn't bother to watch Technoblade lead the shaken Tommy away. He walked back down into the white house and slumped against the wall, running his fingers through his matted hair.

What the _fuck_ was wrong with him? His head was spinning even more than yesterday, his emotions out of control and his mind screaming at him - he just couldn't fucking take it anymore. He quickly stumbled towards the kitchen and desperately started searching through the cabinets for any bottles of whiskey that he still had but he came up empty. His breathing became heavier as he rushed around frantically, desperate to make everything disappear again. He couldn't take it, he couldn't _fucking_ bare it any longer.

He kept searching through each cabinet, his frustration growing as he couldn't find any. When he heard the sound of frantic footsteps rushing to meet him he didn't even care. He just wanted an escape, he _needed_ an escape. 

“Schlatt!” Quackity yelled as he ran into the kitchen, Schlatt snapped his head up to meet his vice-presidents gaze.

“What?” He demanded.

“Technoblade didn't take Tommy to a cell - Fundy tried to stop him but I think he took him back to Pogtopia.” Quackity whispered, his eyes as broken as they'd been on the podium earlier when Schlatt had revealed to everyone Tommy's true traitorous nature.

“And?” Schlatt honestly felt somewhat relieved. 

“I just thought…” Quackity trailed off, he swept his gaze around the trashed kitchen then back at Schlatt, “Schlatt you can't-”

“Fuckin' watch me!” Schlatt snapped as he opened the last cabinet and to his relief found the stash of bottles he'd been saving up just for an emergency. Quackity didn't say anything else, and as Schlatt unscrewed the lid he looked back to see if Quackity was going to stop him he was surprised to find him gone. Well whatever, he took a swig from the bottle and sighed as the familiar taste made him relax ever so slightly. He'd been sober so long he'd almost forgotten what whiskey tastes like. Though it had only been about a week.

He sunk to the floor, taking more frequent drinks from the bottle as he attempted to drown his feelings as quickly as he could. He just wanted it to all go away… 

He stayed like that for a while, refusing to get up from the cold spit on the kitchen floor as he went through two bottles in the space of an hour. He felt a little dazed but it still wasn't enough to make everything disappear like he wanted it too. 

Tommy's horrified eyes filled his mind as he shook his head and tried to get the image out of his mind, he took two more drinks from his newly opened third bottle. He'd come so close to killing him… A fucking _kid_ for Ender's sake. What would he have done if he'd really gone through with it and ordered Technoblade to kill him? His gut twisted, he didn't want to think about it. But it was honestly for the best that Techno had taken Tommy back to Pogtopia anyway… Anything so that he wasn't here where Schlatt could have potentially caused any harm.

_Technoblade._

He closed his eyes and threw his head back against the wall, he ignored the pain he felt as he did so. What was Techno doing all the way out here in the Dream SMP. He thought… 

Schlatt opened his eyes again. Furrowing his brow slightly as he delved deeper into these new thoughts. No, it was no fucking coincidence that there happened to be two people called Technoblade and Wilbur in the same exact town as each other. There was definitely no coincidence that he actually _remembered_ them either. Technoblade wasn't exactly a common name or title to come by. And he'd only ever known one Techno and one Wilbur before.

It had been years ago… 

Schlatt shuddered slightly at the memory.

So… Why was he remembering this now?

If Techno and Wilbur _were_ here, and it was no doubt the brothers would be on the same side - then where was… Schlatt's breathing quickened at the mere thought of his name. _Where was Phil?_ Why were they in the Dream SMP when they'd lived miles away from here? If Techno and Wilbur were around, surely Phil couldn't be far behind.

But… Then where… 

Now here was something Schlatt hadn't dared himself to think. Not in over 16 years. He'd pushed it to the very back of his mind and vowed to forget, but it's not like he could. Yet he couldn't stop himself either. Thinking about Phil, that one sole thought of his old friend brought other memories bubbling to the surface of his mind. 

Phil… Phil had a _third_ son.

And Wilbur and Tommy were like brothers, there was no mistaking that.

Tommy had looked at Technoblade as if he'd known him his entire life earlier.

Wilbur and Techno _were_ brother's. He knew there was no mistake in that. Phil was their father. Tommy _was_ their brother. But Schlatt knew, Schlatt knew very well Phil's third son hadn't exactly been his own. But if _Tommy_ was the third son… 

Schlatt's breathing quickened as his grip on the bottle tightened - there was no stopping the memories now. He'd opened his mind up too much and now he was paying dearly for that. He couldn't even get himself drunk fast enough to drown them out, he couldn't… 

_‘It's just a feeling, like - you just have to be there for them y'know?’_

No… 

_‘It's like- they're your kid y'know? It's hard to explain, all you know is you just_ have _to protect them.’_

Schlatt's hands started to tremble as he clutched his hair with his free hand and tugged against it slightly.

_‘Just take him, alright?’_

He was so fucking stupid… 

_I- I was stupid…’_

A memory of bright blue eyes, gleeful laughter, and rain flashed across his mind.

_‘I just can't I'm not ready—’_

The familiar protective feeling. The very feeling that had prevented him from harming Tommy in the first place, the feeling that deep down, he _knew_ had been so painfully familiar he just hadn't been willing to accept it. Now as all the barriers came crashing down it struck him.

There was a reason, he'd cared about Tommy, and it had been so tauntingly obvious he just hadn't wanted to remember it. There was a reason why deep down Schlatt had almost thought of Tommy as his _son…_

_‘It's alright Thomas- I'm here- it's- it's gonna be okay…’_

Because…

He _was._

The kid he'd left so many years ago because he'd been too fucking weak and messed up for the responsibility of a parent. The kid he'd tried to leave behind as best as he could by drinking and setting up barriers he thought would never be broken down. 

Yet here he was. 

The kid he'd sworn to protect by giving him away in the first place was right back with him again.

Or at least, he _had_ been with him.

He'd pushed him away...

_Again._

And in that moment, every barrier Schlatt had ever made broke down before him as the bottle of whiskey slipped from his still trembling hands and for the first time ever, Schlatt choked out a hard sob, not caring who heard as he buried his face in his knees, still pulling against his hair.

He was so, so fucking stupid… 

What had he done?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god, Tommy is Schlatt's son? What a surprise, I bet you're all so shocked /s
> 
> FINALLY  
> I've been wanting to write this chapter for a while because the chapters after it are gonna be a little different :)  
> I'm talking about 3-4 flashbacks scattered throughout the years of Schlatt and Phil and what led Schlatt to give up his son in the first place  
> It's gonna be wild I promise 
> 
> Also I planned to write and get this chapter out the day after the festival one but then c!Tommy decided to fucking die and now I'm emotionally destroyed 👍
> 
> But as always, thank you so much for reading and I hope you enjoyed!!! <3


	30. The Past [Part One]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Read to find out :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternate Title: The Hexxit Heterosexual's [Part One]

“Phil, you know fishing is for old people, right?” 

The blonde man before him looked up from where he was gazing into the river calmly, he took a seat on the grass beside him and cast his own gaze across the glistening water and remained still for a couple of moments. It was quiet, peaceful - but he was exactly in a peaceful type of mood today. And to him, teasing his friend seemed a lot more interesting than something as boring as fishing. It was only mere seconds before he started talking again.

“Of all the things to do out there, get rich, fight mobs, all that good shit - you choose to sit here by a lake, and _fish_.”   
“If it's so uninteresting to you why don't you go somewhere else, Schlatt?” Phil said with a playful roll of his eyes, turning his attention back to the water.  
“Because you're pretty much the only friend I got.” Schlatt said with a shrug.

Phil chuckled quietly at this and the two continued to stare across the water's edge. It was a nice day so far - one of the best they'd had in a while, it had been raining a lot recently and Schlatt hadn't really had the time to go out and appreciate the forest much. He knew Phil spent a lot of time here, either fishing or gathering lots of gear to keep him and his wife safe. It was a surprise to see him away from home for once, his wife Kristen had been expecting their kid soon and Phil - despite his kid not even being born yet - had flung himself right into overprotective dad mode.

Sure it meant they hung out a lot less than they usually did, Schlatt wasn't lying when he said Phil was his only friend. It was true. Most people he met thought he was insufferable, and who cared? Schlatt only needed one friend, and the ‘soon to be dad’ Phil would apparently have to do. Since Kristen had fallen pregnant Phil had been acting a lot more differently. Schlatt usually laughed at him for this but Phil didn't seem to care. Usually whenever he'd make fun of him for anything Phil would either brush it off irritably or fire back a sharp retort. Alas, it was all jokes - Schlatt didn't care. His friend had a family, and he was happy, so he was happy for him.

Not that he'd ever mention that around Phil of course. No he wouldn't show that he was that soft. Phil was great and all but he wasn't going to go declare him ‘the best goddamn friend he'd ever made’ to the entire village now was he? So Schlatt jokingly made fun of him, he wasn't exactly sure how to show affection any other way.

Phil yawned rather loudly, stretching his wings out either side of him, one the black feathers gently brushed against Schlatt's face and his peace was disturbed as he pushed it away and frowned at his friend.  
“Hey, get that out of my face!” He complained, earning an amused glance from Phil.  
“Oh come on, you can't blame me, they're stiff.” He replied calmly.  
Schlatt scoffed, “well maybe you should use em' more.” He remarked dryly - it was true, Phil hadn't been using his wings much. Which was a bad thing for a bird hybrid, flying was a key part of their life.

“I would, but it seems I've flown everywhere now.” Phil sighed.  
“You used to be so much more exciting,” Schlatt shook his head slightly, “now you just sit on your ass all day fishing, you're not even a dad yet and you're acting as old as one.”   
“Well you're the one who decided to sit here with me, so maybe that's a you problem.” Phil said with a light shrug of his shoulders, Schlatt continued to glare at him.

“I think the problem is I need to find more exciting friends.” Schlatt replied   
Phil placed a hand over his heart dramatically, “wow, years of friendship and you're cutting that off because you think I'm lazy?”   
“No, not because you're lazy. Because you're boring.” Schlatt responded evenly.

Of course that was a lie. Phil had been his friend for years - he'd been through everything with him. When Schlatt was young his hybrid features had developed a little later than usual, which meant he didn't have them when he was born like most hybrids and instead and grew up relatively normal until one day he'd started getting painful headaches. He'd pushed it off as nothing but a migraine at first and then he'd noticed his horns were starting to grow in. The first thing he did was tell Phil and when the headaches got really bad, the days he and Phil would hang out Phil would immediately understand and remain completely quiet until the pain lessened. 

Schlatt had also been there when Phil's wings had first grown in, unlike most hybrids - bird hybrid's like Phil grew their wings when they got older. So shortly after Schlatt had started to grow in his horns Phil had told him about strange pains in his shoulders and back - and that he knew what was coming. That had been clear by the two great lumps poking from his back. The unfortunate thing about bird hybrid's, is that unlike ram or goat hybrids, their features came instantaneously. So Schlatt had been shaken when Phil had suddenly dropped to the floor in front of him, screaming in pain. He'd helped him as best as he could, getting him a new t-shirt and a cloth to wipe away all the blood and encouraging him to get through it. He'd been in awe when he'd first seen the two, magnificent black wings unfold.

He'd stayed with Phil all night after that. 

“So how's Kristen then?” Schlatt asked after a couple of minutes silence, he hated silence, it never failed to make him uncomfortable.  
“She's alright, mostly,” Phil told him, “a little antsy and irritated, but that's probably because the kid's a week overdue now.”  
Phil nodded, “yeah, should be any day now really. It's different with all pregnancies but this does seem to be taking longer than I thought it would.” He bit his lip anxiously, Schlatt gave his friend a comforting nudge.  
“Hey, I'm sure it'll happen soon. Just, gotta let it take its course.”

“Yeah, you're right.”

Schlatt watched the river turn, he noted how Phil no longer seemed focused on fishing and was staring out into the water, deep in thought. He didn't try and interrupt him so he took the silence for once and remained quiet. He tapped his fingers against his knees, something he had a habit of doing whenever he was distracted. He really was happy for Phil, he was going to have a family, it was something huge. Schlatt had to admit though he was rather worried that as soon as Phil officially became a father he'd be kicked from the picture. They'd done so much together in their youth. Though Schlatt was still pretty young he'd say, he was only in his early twenties, Phil was just a little older but was a rather young age to become a father, but Schlatt wasn't going to say anything on the matter. 

It wasn't his life, Phil could live it how he wanted to.

It was very peaceful that evening, a small breeze drifted through the wind and Schlatt watched as a flock of birds flew up a nearby tree. He looked over to Phil once more, he looked a little distracted, like he was thinking of his own flock. Schlatt almost knew how he felt, though he hadn't known his parents his heart still ached for his family. 

“You okay there bud?” Phil asked, snapping him out of his thoughts abruptly.  
“Huh? Oh yeah I'm fine.”  
“You don't seem it.”  
“Just thinkin' about stuff.”  
Phil regarded him carefully a moment before he elbowed him gently in the side, “well, I'm all ears.”  
“You know I'm not a feeling-y type of person, Phil.” Schlatt said.

“Yeah but it'll help if you talk about it.” Phil explained.  
“What are you, a licensed therapist or something?”  
Phil just stared at him, promoting him to go on, Schlatt groaned quietly.  
“Just thinking about home, that's all.”  
“Your family?”   
Schlatt nodded.  
“Puffy?”  
Schlatt sighed, but nodded slowly.

When he'd grown up Schlatt and his twin sister Puffy had been fostered by an old couple, they weren't exactly the best stand in parents but at least he'd had his sister to hang round with. A member of his own herd. But when they'd grown up they'd strayed apart and while Schlatt had gone off with Phil to adventure, Puffy had stayed back at their home town and he hadn't seen her since. They'd left on pretty bad terms too, Schlatt winced at the memory.

“I wonder what happened to her.” Phil hummed.  
“I don't know I think she became a pirate or something.” Schlatt shrugged, not wanting to dwell on the subject any longer he cleared his throat and turned his attention back to Phil, “it's gettin' a little late, wanna head back now?”  
Phil looked up at the sunset and nodded before slowly getting to his feet, Schlatt did the same and stretched his arms out.

As Phil turned to leave Schlatt looked back at the river once more and sighed, he followed his friend back up the hill quietly.   
“There's something else.” Phil remarked suddenly as they walked in silence.  
Schlatt looked up in surprise, “what?”  
“There's something else you're not telling me.” Phil responded quickly.  
“How the fuck can you tell?”  
“We've known each other for eight fucking years Schlatt, I think I can tell when something's bothering you.”  
Well shit.

“Well you're gonna be pretty annoyed at this.”  
“Oh fuck, what did you do this time.”  
Schlatt grinned, “you say that as if it's gonna be something bad.”  
“You said I'd be annoyed.”  
“Hm, touche.”  
“So what is it?” Phil asked.  
“I may or may not have lost my house to a bunch of gamblers.”

Phil stopped in his tracks and ever so slowly turned to face Schlatt, his face conveying a look of both confusion and annoyance, “how the fuck did you lose your house to gamblers?” He demanded.  
“I didn't have any money so I bet my house.” Schlatt replied.  
“You bet your fucking-” Phil paused, pinching his nose and gave him a long incredulous look before he added, “and you didn't win?”  
“Obviously.”

Phil let out a long drawn sigh.

“Hey it's not my fault, pretty sure those little shits rigged the game!”   
“You still don't bet your fucking house on a game of poker, mate!”  
“How was I supposed to know I was going to lose?”  
“Because you're shit at poker.”  
“Hey fuck you I'm great at poker.”  
“You lost your house.”  
“Oh, right.”

Phil groaned to himself, shaking his head in disappointment while Schlatt simply stared at him blankly. Sure, he hadn't entirelt thought it through before he'd bet his house in a poker game - but what else was he supposed to do? He desperately needed some money, he hadn't intended to lose - he was pretty sure he'd come close to winning, but then those assholes must've cheated and rigged the game.

“Hey maybe I could stay with you!” Schlatt snapped his fingers once the thought came to him, Phil looked up at him immediately.  
“What?”  
“Just until I earn enough money back to rent out a new place, come on, something for your old pal?” Schlatt pleaded.  
“Schlatt I don't- maybe you haven't noticed but the place I live in is pretty small. Not to mention my wife is literally pregnant and she could give birth anytime.” Phil told him.  
“I can sleep on the couch.” He shrugged.

Phil gave him another long look before he sighed again - guy was doing that a lot lately - and he looked to Schlatt and to the small cottage in the distance and to Schlatt once more.  
“I'll talk to Kristen about it.” Phil said before he rubbed his eyes with his hands and continued the short walk up the path to his house, Schlatt grinned to himself happily and followed behind.

The two reached the door and Phil opened it quietly, the lanterns were lit, neatly laid across each window-ledge. Schlatt had been here a few times but not many, since Kristen's pregnancy had been announced he hadn't wanted to intrude too much. He watched patiently as Phil laid his fishing gear out against the wall and went off with his fishing gear to store them away neatly. Schlatt tapped his foot against the floor and waited.

“Schlatt?” He looked up to see Kristen coming down the stairs, she was beaming at him, one hand securing her balance on the stairs, the other laid on top of her stomach. Holy shit - she really was overdue. Schlatt smiled politely.  
“In the flesh,” he announced, “Phil's been keeping me from coming here, I think he reckons I might be a bad influence on your kid.”  
“A kid that isn't even born yet.” She said with an annoyed groan, Phil came up beside her and chuckled lightly.  
“You don't know just how much of a bad influence he can be.” He joked.

Schlatt watched as Phil leaned in to give his wife a small kiss on the cheek and he coughed quietly getting Phil's attention.

“Its a pleasant surprise, but you don't usually come here often. Is something up?” Kristen asked as she looked between the two.  
“Well this idiot lost his house in a poker game, so he doesn't have anywhere to stay. I said I'd talk to you about him possibly staying here until he could find some place to rent.” Phil explained.  
Kristen did the same as Phil and shook her head before looking back up, “you know that's stupid of you, betting your house in a poker game?”

Schlatt smirked, “so I've been told.”  
Kristen just scoffed lightly before she smiled at him warmly, “well as stupid as you are Schlatt you're welcome to stay here as long as you need to.”  
“That's very generous of you.” Schlatt said with his own smile.  
“I hope the sound of crying doesn't offend you.”  
“What, Phil? Nah I'm good with that.” Phil raised his eyebrows at Schlatt, unimpressed but with a small smile on his face.

The three of them decided to sit down, Schlatt didn't have many belongings to begin with really - but Kristen had given him a few old t-shirts of Phil's that he could wear until he got some more. As Schlatt and Kristen got into a quick discussion Phil left for the kitchen, returning with a bottle of something in his hand that Schlatt could only assume was alcohol.

“You're gonna drink that?” He looked at Kristen, surprised.  
“Oh of course not, Phil only usually has about half himself most nights,” Kristen replied, “you're welcome to have some if you're want.”

Schlatt relaxed deeper into the chair and smiled, he waved his hand dismissively, “nah that's okay thanks, I don't drink.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, more about these chapters.  
> There'll be about four of them, this being the first and it gives an insight to Schlatt and Phil and what led up to Schlatt eventually giving up his son, Tommy to Phil in the first place.  
> They won't be in order, more scattered around throughout the years like memories, so don't expect it to be in any sort of order - and it'll explain a lot when there's suddenly a huge timeskip.  
> Also this chapter was a little later than planned, blockmen are still ruining my life, Tommy's fucking alive now I'm getting whiplash at this oh my god
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! There's plenty more Hexxit Homies content to come shortly! <333


End file.
